Double Edged Love
by Morningstar 236
Summary: Sakura has been dating Kakashi for over a yr. when her team retrieves Sasuke as he avenges his clan. How will Sakura deal with her feelings for the 2 men in her life & who will she finally pick to spend the rest of her life with? Kakasaku,1-sided Sasusaku
1. The Mission

_Disclaimer – I do not own Naruto or any characters of said story._

_**Mature themes in this chapter!**_

**The Mission**

Sakura walked slowly down the street towards her apartment. She had just finished her shift at the hospital and was eager to get home. It had been a long day at the clinic and she was glad she was finally done. As she walked she smiled thinking about her evening plans with Kakashi. They had been dating since she turned 18 little over a year ago. Never in her wildest dreams had she thought that the elusive Copy Nin would have been interested in her. She had a secret crush on her former sensei years before that infamous night. When he professed his love for her at her party, she almost passed out with delight. Ever since, the two were inseparable.

Naruto had a hard time when he first saw the couple together, but he realized that Sakura was happy and that's all that really mattered to him. Ever since Naruto had been dating Hinata, he had been trying to fix up Sakura with men that he thought were worthy of his best friend. Needless to say, Naruto was not a good match maker. She lost count on how many times she had to duck out of the pub that all her friends frequented due to the blind dates that Naruto tried to set her up with before she and Kakashi became a couple. It had also taken all of her friends some time to get used to the masked ninja when they went out. Now, he was like an old friend to them all. Ino was especially thankful for his presence due to Genma tagging along with the couple. He was the first man that could keep up with her wild ways. Sakura snickered to herself. Ino had met her match when she hooked up with the senbon wielding ninja. It was good to see her best friend and rival so happy.

Sakura looked up at the sky, and closed her eyes, soaking in the sun that shown on her face. It felt good to be outside in the warm weather. Tomorrow was her day off and she was going to make the most of it by staying in bed with the man she cared so much about. It had been a long time since they had a day off together. Both had been working a lot lately and she welcomed the break. As she turned down the street where she lived, her mind raced on what she had planned on wearing tonight. Kakashi was still at the jounin office finishing his latest report. Sakura rushed up the stairs to her apartment, eager for the night to begin.

* * *

In the kitchen, Sakura quickly started dinner, then ran to take a shower, and got dressed in her favorite outfit. Her thoughts turned to what Tsunade had said about the search for Sasuke, earlier in the day. The latest ANBU team had returned from their mission and had found traces of Sasuke's group in the area. It had been a few years since her former team mate had killed his mentor and the hokage was eager to bring Sasuke back to the village. Since then, Sasuke had remained elusive. It was obvious that he was searching for his brother to complete his goal of avenging his clan. Tsunade hoped that they would find Sasuke before he found his brother, not that she didn't wish that he succeeded with the task. Itachi was a thorn in her side. Sadness washed over Sakura as she thought of her missing team mate. She still held out hope that he would return to the village begging for forgiveness for his past misdeeds. Even though she had made peace with him leaving and her feelings toward him, Sakura still thought of him as a brother and wanted him safe back at home. The knock at her door woke her from her thoughts of her missing friend.

Sakura went to the door and found Kakashi leaning against the door frame. He quickly pulled down his mask, capturing her lips in his. He swept her up into his arms, and quickly closed the door. They were breathless as they broke apart from his heated greeting.

"Well, hello to you too," she murmured as she leaned into his embrace. "Long day at the office?"

"You have no idea," he chuckled. He kissed her deeply again earning a satisfied sigh from his pink haired lover. "What's for dinner?" he asked as the aroma of her cooking reached his nose.

Sakura giggled as she told him what she had made for dinner. She had made his favorite fish, rice, and mixed vegetables. Kakashi smiled as he led Sakura to the kitchen so they could sit down to eat. He would have never guessed that the konoichi was such a good cook. When they were on missions together, her cooking was awful. The first time she told him that she would cook dinner for him, he steeled himself for an unpleasant evening. He would have stomached the meal for her sake, never agreeing to have her cook for him again. He was pleasantly surprised that the dinner was so good. She laughed as she told him that the girls where warned about cooking too well out on missions. Her female teachers told her that she would be stuck cooking every mission if their teams ever found out about their talents in the kitchen. Sakura swore Kakashi to secrecy about her hidden talents. She didn't mind cooking for him when they were at home, but she wasn't going to be assigned only to cooking duties out on the field. He couldn't blame her for not wanting to be seen only as the cook. Sakura had worked hard for her position and wasn't going to let male pride take that away from her. Her cooking was one of the many perks of being intimately involved with her.

After dinner, the couple sat out on Sakura's balcony looking at the stars. Kakashi held her close as they gazed out over the darkened village. Sakura had the best apartment in the village due to being the hokage's prized student. Tsunade made sure of it when Sakura decided to move out of her parents' home. The apartment had a spectacular view overlooking the village and the waterfall nearby. It was much bigger than Kakashi's apartment. He found himself at her apartment more than his own, not that he minded.

Sakura smelled like vanilla and strawberries, and the scent was driving him wild. Slowly, his lips joined hers as he kissed her deeply. Her arms gently encircled his neck and her hands found their way to his unruly silver hair. He lifted her into his lap never breaking their kiss. Kakashi's lips went to her neck leaving fiery kisses down her silken skin. Sakura let out a pleasured moan. Kakashi pulled her close and whispered in her ear that they move to the bedroom before things became too heated. He didn't want to give her neighbors a show. The pink haired konoichi nodded in agreement as he swept her up into his arms as he bore her to her bedroom.

As soon as they were safely indoors away from prying eyes, Sakura began caressing his ear with her tongue. She breathed heavily sending chills down his spine. Capturing her lips in his, he slowly eased her down so she was standing in front of him. Sakura began to undress him as she kissed him. Kakashi shrugged off his jounin jacket that she unzipped and quickly discarded his shirt while Sakura undid his pants. Gently, he undid her blouse, trailing kisses down her torso as he undid each button. Sakura arched her back in pleasure as she ran her fingers through his soft silver hair. With a sly grin, he undid her bra and proceeded to caress her peaks with his tongue. Sakura moaned as the electricity between them increased. Soon, he swept her up again, laying her on the bed. He was so adept that she never felt her skirt leave her body.

Kakashi looked down hungrily at the goddess that lay before him. Her long hair spread out around her like a pink aura. She looked like an angel to him. Both smiled sultrily at each other as they took in each other's perfectly sculptured bodies. His was well defined, and hard. Hers was soft and alluring, while still being toned. Sakura pulled his head to hers and fervently kissed him. Kakashi's hands slid down her body and kneaded one of her silken peaks. His lips eagerly found her other peak as he caressed her body. Her skin tasted wonderful and he could never get enough of tasting it. His hands stroked her yielding skin until they found their way to her womanhood. Sakura gasped when she felt his fingers entering her. He pumped her slowly readying her for his entrance to her most private area. Soon the rhythm increased to meet her panting need. Kakashi watched her face as she reached her release. He loved watching her as she came.

As soon as she caught her breath, he gently rose above her and slid into her welcoming body. Both moaned with pleasure. Their bodies fit perfectly together like they were made for one another. Soon their primal needs took over as they both climaxed together. Kakashi gathered Sakura into his arms and kissed her forehead as they both basked in the glow of their love. His angel soon fell asleep in his arms as he watched over her. He loved her more than anything and thanked each day that he was with her. As he drifted off to sleep besides her, he vowed that he would do anything to make her happy.

The couple woke late in the morning after their night of passion. Sakura loved waking in Kakashi's strong arms and told him that she missed the closeness. He kissed her and promised to make more time so they could be together like this more often. Both enjoyed the nearness of each other and didn't get out of bed until they needed to. Sakura wanted some private time with him, just the two of them today. They shared a shower together and dressed much later due to their passion overwhelming them in the warm water. After they had a quick lunch, Kakashi suggested going to a private hot spring so they could share the afternoon together. The day ended on a high note as they shared their ardor again as night fell.

* * *

Sakura was happy that she was in her office only the next day. She was still basking in the glow of Kakashi's love as she strolled to her office. The nurses just smiled knowingly as she floated to by and closed the door. Her mood was broken when she saw the mountain of charts waiting on her desk. It was great being the lead medic at the hospital, but the paper work would kill you if you didn't keep up with it. Sakura dove into her work so she could return to Kakashi's arms later.

* * *

A few days later, Kakashi and Sakura were summoned to the hokage's office along with a large number of jounin and chuunin. When everyone finally arrived, Tsunade briefed the group about the intelligence that the last ANBU squad had stumbled on. Sasuke and his group were on their way to meet Itachi and his partner. The two Uchihas were finally going to meet to settle their long differences. Tsunade told the stunned group that their job was to apprehend Sasuke before he battled with Itachi. Hopefully, both could be brought back to the village to answer for their crimes. Sakura was to go with in case the group didn't reach the rendezvous in time and there were injuries. Kakashi would be in charge of the group to maximize everyone's effectiveness.

As Tsunade briefed the group, Sakura's eyes went to Naruto to see how he was taking the news. He sat there quietly listening, which was not typical for her hyperactive friend. Naruto had mellowed as he matured, but was still eager when it came to their lost team mate. Nervously, she looked to Kakashi's face and noticed the anxious look he wore. Both were concerned with Naruto's uncharacteristic behavior. Kakashi smiled at Sakura assuring her that they would help him through whatever emotion he was going through after the briefing.

After the briefing was done, Kakashi told the group to meet at the gates in 2 hours with all of their gear. As the crowd dispersed, Kakashi, Sakura, and Hinata were at Naruto's side to make sure the blond haired ninja was okay. Smiling up at his close friends and lover, he assured them that he was well and didn't react when the hokage was talking because of the importance of what was being relayed to them. He reminded them that he was a jounin and had to act like one.

"Well Sakura," he smiled, "I guess I can finally fulfill that promise I made to you so long ago."

"Naruto, you know I don't hold you to that promise anymore. That was a long time ago. I just want you safe," she stated. "Don't go overboard please. I couldn't bear to lose you!"

Sakura hugged her friend tight as he assured her and Hinata that he wouldn't lose control. As soon as the conversation was completed, the small group took off to ready for their new assignment.

* * *

Once the group was all accounted for, Kakashi split everyone into teams and gave his instructions on how they were going to handle the situation. Neji, Hinata, Shino, and Kiba were to scout the meeting area and report back to him with their findings. Kakashi showed them on the map where to meet the rest of the group after their scouting mission was completed. The group took off to obtain the information that was needed. The rest of the group was arranged in fighting teams. Sakura was the jounin in charge of the team in charge of healing anyone that was hurt. Her team wasn't supposed to engage anyone unless they had to. Once everyone had their assignments, they took off to the place they were to meet the scouts.

Sakura's mind wandered to Sasuke as she led her team through the forest. Would he fight them like last time? She couldn't bear any of her team mates being hurt by her missing friend. It would tear her apart if any of them had to fight him. She hoped that he had changed since he escaped Orochimaru's grip. Nervously, she looked at Naruto and was worried about the determined look on his face. She knew that Naruto would do anything to bring his friend back, no matter what. All she could do was hope that they wouldn't have to fight each other again. She painfully remembered the last time the two had fought, it almost cost Naruto his life. Her thoughts drifted to how Sasuke would feel when he saw her again. He never took interest in her except as a team mate. She could feel the pangs of pain from her past creeping up on her. It was one thing to make peace with how she felt about him so long ago, but it was another thing to finally face him. Sakura let out a nervous sigh. As she looked over her shoulder, she noticed Kakashi looking at her concerned about what she was thinking. She smiled to reassure him that she was okay. He nodded to her knowing that he would be there if she needed to talk.

The group finally made their way to the clearing where they were to wait for Neji, Hinata, Shino, and Kiba to return. Naruto paced as they waited. Kakashi made sure that Sakura was okay before the group came back. She assured him that she was just nervous about Naruto and how the day's events would play out. Kakashi hugged her to comfort her. As she held on to him, she knew that he would help her through whatever happened today.

After 15 minutes went by, the scouting team finally arrived in the clearing to give their report. Sasuke's group was being detained by Itachi's partner at the doorway of the Uchiha family compound. Kakashi quickly gave each team their assignments and ordered them to move out. Both Naruto and Kakashi smiled reassuringly at Sakura as they left to perform their duties. Sakura's team moved to their assigned area to be ready for any medical emergency. As she watched everyone leave, she prayed that they would be successful and no one was hurt, especially Naruto and Kakashi. She sat down with her team to wait, and hoped that her feelings wouldn't cloud what she had to do on this mission. She also hoped that she was strong enough to face the person she loved so long ago.


	2. Mystification

_Disclaimer – I do not own Naruto or any characters of said story._

**Mystification**

By the time Kakashi's team reached the compound, Sasuke and Itachi had finished their fight. Naruto and Shikamaru quickly ran to Sasuke's side while Kakashi checked Itachi. Feeling for a pulse, Kakashi quickly noted that Itachi was dead. He quickly summoned Chogi to guard the body while he went to check Sasuke. Naruto looked up at Kakashi anxiously as he checked Sasuke's pulse. Sasuke was still alive, but just barely.

"We need to get him to Sakura quickly," Kakashi ordered, "Don't worry, Naruto, he's still alive."

Naruto breathed a sigh of relief and proceeded to pick his fallen friend up to carry him to Sakura. When Naruto stood, he noticed Kakashi in a fighting stance. In the distance, he noticed an Atatsuki member standing with a strange mask on his face. Soon he was joined by Kisame and another member that looked like a Venus fly trap.

"Hmmmm…so you all beat us here," the man in the mask said crossly.

"Very observant," Kakashi said sarcastically. Soon all of the Konoha shinobi appeared on the other 2 sides of the small group. Kakashi straightened as all of his teams closed around the Atatsuki members.

Kisame hissed when he saw that they were outnumbered. "Looks like Itachi lost, Zetsu."

The guy that looked like the Venus fly trap said, "We are not here to fight a battle. Pein wants us back now. Tobi, follow us."

"'till we meet again!" Tobi hissed before he turned.

The three men disappeared. Kakashi breathed a sigh of relief. He knew what Kisame was capable of, but the other two were a mystery. Knowing what he did about the Atatsuki, Kakashi knew that there would be casualties if a battle ensued. Kakashi told Choji to pick up Itachi's body, once they placed it in the body bag and for everyone to leave before their luck changed.

* * *

Sakura was lost in thought when one of the medics notified her that the teams were on their way back. Hiroshi let her know that there was 1 casualty and 1 severely injured person on their way to them. Sakura told her team to get ready to stabilize the injured person. Her thoughts raced as she wondered who was injured and who had died. She said a quick prayer that it wasn't Kakashi or Naruto.

Soon all of the teams were in the makeshift base. Naruto gently laid Sasuke on the cot so the medics could start their treatment. He told Sakura that they didn't have to fight anyone and how they found Sasuke. Sakura was shocked when Naruto told her that Sasuke had killed Itachi. Breaking her stupor, one of the medics called for her due to the injuries being too much for them. Sakura quickly left Naruto's side to attend to their lost team mate.

* * *

Kakashi and Naruto stood and watched as Sakura stabilized Sasuke. A million thoughts went through Kakashi's head as he watched the woman he loved trying to stabilize her old flame. He wondered if she had really come to terms with her feelings for Sasuke. It was one thing to bury your feelings when the object of your love wasn't around, but it was quite different when that person was near you in flesh and blood. A pang of jealousy washed over him. She was the most important thing in his life. It was unfair that Sasuke barged back into their lives now that things were going so well with them. Kakashi remembered the pain that Sakura went through when the dark haired boy left. He could feel the anger building in him and needed to get away. Quickly he turned to check the other teams. Naruto just stared as his fellow jounin strode angrily away.

* * *

Sasuke was indeed a mess. It was a miracle that he survived. Sakura lost count on the broken bones and quickly started healing his damaged organs. Hiroshi had stabilized his heart, but there was so much damage that needed to be healed right away. Luckily, Tsunade had taught her how to heal several systems at once or Sasuke would be in deep trouble right now. As she focused her chakra, she pushed all of her thoughts aside. Once she stabilized him, she told her team to ready him for transport. Sakura looked behind her and saw that Naruto was the only one standing there watching. Puzzled, she looked at the group to find out where Kakashi had walked off to. Finding him with the team leaders, she sighed. Looking back at Naruto, she gave him the thumbs up letting him know that Sasuke was going to be okay. Naruto had a look of relief on his face.

* * *

After Kakashi briefed the team leaders, he saw Sakura walking slowly towards him. He took a deep breath and shoved his feelings of anger down. Sakura smiled as she told him that Sasuke was stabilized and was being prepared for transport. She had placed a sleeping jutsu on him that would last until they arrived back home. Kakashi thanked her for her update and just stared at her. Sakura was puzzled by his strange behavior, but figured it was due to Sasuke being back in their midst.

"Are you okay?" Kakashi asked in a low voice, moving closer to her.

"For now," she answered softly, "I'll deal with that later. I need to remain professional right now."

Kakashi nodded and placed his hand on her shoulder for support. He could always count on Sakura remaining professional while they were on a mission. As Sakura walked away, he couldn't help wonder what her mood would be like once they made it home. He would need to come to terms with his feelings before she shared hers with him. Kakashi cursed his horrible luck and took a deep breath. He knew this day would come, but hoped that their relationship had progressed further before it happened. Walking towards the teams to give their final assignments, Kakashi shoved his fist through a small tree knocking it in half.

* * *

Sakura turned when she heard Kakashi take a deep breath and watched him as he struck the tree. She knew that he was torn and worried about their relationship. Wishing she could comfort him, she turned to the task at hand. There would be time for them once they got back home. She needed to concentrate on the end of this mission and sort her feelings out before she spoke with Kakashi.

* * *

Once they arrived at Konoha, Sakura followed her team to the hospital while Kakashi finished his report. Sakura had to shove Naruto out of the trauma room so the medics could heal Sasuke. She was talking with the hokage when Shizune walked up next to her. Both women looked at the petite brunette as she made her way next to them.

"Sakura, Sasuke is awake and is asking for you," Shizune whispered.

Tsunade looked at her student trying to gauge her reaction. Sakura was shocked. The hokage excused her and asked Shizune for an update on his medical status. Sakura made her way to his room trying to sort out her thoughts and feelings. Sasuke was in the ICU. She looked through the window at her lost team mate steeling herself for whatever he had to say. Taking a deep breath, she made her way past the guard and entered the room. The nurse finished what she was doing and excused herself.

Sakura looked down at Sasuke. Her emotions were all over the place and she didn't know how to feel at this point of time. She was glad he was finally home, but wondered how he would react to her. Would he be the same old Sasuke or would he be cold like the last time they met? As she was pondering her feelings, Sasuke opened his eyes and looked at her.

"Sasuke?" she said quietly, "How do you feel?"

The dark haired boy looked at his surroundings, then looked into her green eyes. He was surprised how much she had matured. She was no longer the fan girl that he remembered from long ago. "I'm alive?" he rasped.

"Yes, Sasuke, you're in the hospital in Konoha," she smiled at him trying to be friendly. "You had a lot of injuries, but you will be fine."

Sasuke looked confused to her. She didn't want to shock him too much. 'Better to take it slow,' she thought to herself.

"Hnnnn…" he mumbled. As he looked at his former team mate, he was struck with her beauty. He wondered why he never noticed it before. Sakura was always caring to him even when he was at his worst. He never wanted to hurt her, but she never totally understood why he had to leave the village to fulfill his goal. She was the only person that was ever kind and caring to him and the only one that could have changed his mind before he left. Through out the years he was gone, he had to deal with the thought of hurting her. It played in his mind over and over again. He promised himself to make it up to her if he ever got the chance because it meant so much that she was concerned for him no matter what.

Staring at her now, he wondered if she would ever forgive him for the pain he caused her. Naruto had told him about the difficult time she had when he left. The blond ninja didn't mince words on how he felt about him hurting his best friend. According to what Naruto told him, Sakura withdrew from everyone and focused on her training, shutting out the people that loved her. It had taken a long time to let anyone back into her life. Naruto threatened to hurt him badly if he put Sakura through that pain ever again. He also told Sasuke that she was happy now and in a relationship with Kakashi. When Naruto informed him of the relationship, Sasuke was floored. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine Sakura with their old sensei. All he could do is blame himself for hurting her so bad that she turned to Kakashi for love. He had to make it up to her some how, even if he couldn't be with her romantically.

"Are you feeling any pain?" Sakura asked with concern as she leaned over to check his bandages.

"No, I'm fine," he said as he weakly smiled at her. "I heard you were the medic that saved me. Thank you, Sakura."

Sakura quickly stood back from Sasuke, dumbfounded. Sasuke never thanked anyone. She was shocked. Wondering if she had missed a head injury, she peered into his eyes to see if there were any tell tales signs of a head injury. Seeing no obvious trauma, she stepped back and stared at him. She never expected him to thank her. In her mind she prepared herself for him going on a tirade or just ignoring her, but never this. Part of her hoped that he had changed, but she was wary. "Umm…your welcome?" she mumbled.

Sakura busied herself by looking at his chart to distract her clouded mind. "Sakura?" he said.

"Yes?"

"Naruto told me that you were a medic now, actually the chief medic. Will you be taking care of me?" he looked up at her hopefully.

"Well, It's up to the hokage, so I'm not quite sure," she stared at him with her mouth open, "Why?"

"Just wondering," he smiled at her.

Sakura couldn't believe what she was hearing. Everything within her told her to run out of the room, fast. This wasn't the same boy she grew up with. She didn't know how to react and his kindness was bringing up old wounds that she didn't want to deal with any more. She needed time to sort things out before she could talk with him again. It wasn't like she was the old fan girl lusting after him any more. She was grown, a medic, and involved with someone else. Sakura didn't know what to do and how to handle this. It was like she was a genin all over again. Her pager went off and broke her from her trance. As she looked at the pager, trying not to shake, she quietly excused herself and told him to feel better soon. Sasuke watched her intently as she quickly made her exit.

* * *

Kakashi was watching through the window at his two ex-students when he saw Sakura quickly make her exit. He had been talking with Tsunade when the hokage told him that Sasuke had asked for her. Tsunade was concerned with Sakura's well being and asked Kakashi to keep an eye on Sakura fearing that the Uchiha would hurt her all over again. As Kakashi watched them, he couldn't help but feel the anger building as he watched Sakura's face. After she walked out to of the room, he was at her side to make sure that Sasuke hadn't hurt her. Sakura fell into his arms and held him tight. Kakashi stroked her hair to comfort her as she clung to him.

"Are you okay?" Kakashi whispered in her ear.

Sakura nodded and looked up at Kakashi with a confused look on her face. He held her until she quit shaking. "What did he do?" he said trying to restrain the anger that was building.

"He…he…," she stammered.

Kakashi patiently waited for her to compose herself. "Yes?" he gently urged.

"He…he thanked me," she said and held him tight.

Kakashi took in what she said, shocked just as Sakura was. Gently lifting her head, he looked into her eyes, "That's all? He didn't say anything else?"

"No. Why is he being so nice? Is it some kind of mind game he's trying to play with me?" Sakura said as she buried her head into his chest and began to cry.

Kakashi kissed the top of her head and escorted her out of the unit. He didn't know what Sasuke's game was, but Kakashi wasn't going to let the missing nin hurt the woman that he love all over again. When they reached the door of the hospital, he swept her up into his arms and took her home. Kakashi would be back later to talk to Sasuke and find out what his game was.

* * *

Sasuke watched as Kakashi comforted Sakura after she left his room. He could see the pain on her face as the old jounin held her. Anger started to build within him as he watched the couple. It should be him comforting the pink haired medic, not their old sensei. Sasuke couldn't help but feel jealous, but quickly reminded himself that he gave up that right when he left the village. He took a deep breath and began to contemplate what he actually wanted from Sakura and how to do achieve it without hurting her again. Deep down, he knew that he loved her and wanted her for his own. As his eyes closed, he began to plan how to win Sakura back for his own.

* * *

_Please comment! All comments are appreciated!_


	3. Challenge

_Disclaimer – I do not own Naruto or any characters of said story._

**Challenge**

Sasuke took in the view outside the window of his new room. The window overlooked the village and the hokage's faces. 'How appropriate,' he muttered to himself crossly. The hokage had made sure that he had something to remind him of predicament he was in. He couldn't escape thinking about the village he left behind with the view from the window of his room. He made a mental note not to underestimate Tsunade when it came time to deal with her. Sasuke had heard stories about the sannin when he was younger. He remembered his father telling his brother not to rile the hot tempered medic unless he wanted to be knocked into next week. Orochimaru would just snarl and then have a far away look in his eyes when her name was mentioned. Nothing was ever said about the woman by his now deceased mentor. Sasuke knew better to tangle with the blond hokage, he could see the strength and cockiness in her eyes. He wanted to stay in the village of his birth and would need to pay the price she deemed necessary in order to do so. Tsunade wouldn't be fooled by him hiding any information. He hoped his straightforwardness could win her respect. All his plans hinged on staying in Konoha and he wouldn't be swayed.

Looking out the window, his thoughts turned to Sakura. It was obvious that she was trying to avoid him. When she visited, she would always have an underling with her and never made eye contact with him. Sasuke knew she was confused by his apology and his demeanor towards her. He wished that he could get her alone so they could talk privately. Kakashi had come in briefly the day after he was admitted to the hospital for small talk. It had been awkward for both men as they sized each other up. Kakashi was never one for conversation, but it was obvious to Sasuke that Kakashi was trying to figure out what he was up to by apologizing to Sakura. Kakashi wasn't a dumb man. He knew there was something more that Sasuke wanted. It was also very obvious that the silver haired ninja loved Sakura. The anger that Sasuke felt slowly boiled as his ex-sensei stood in his room. To anyone else, the two of them were having an uncomfortable but pleasant conversation. They would shrug it off thinking it was due to how Sasuke left and the length of time he was missing. Both men knew that it was much more than that. Each of them were sizing each other up and gauging what the other felt towards Sakura. A smile spread across Sasuke's lips. He was more than ready to take Kakashi on to win the heart of Sakura. With a smirk, his thoughts wandered to his plan to win over his female ex-team mate.

* * *

Kakashi strode irritably towards the jounin office. He was lost in his thoughts of Sakura and his encounter with Sasuke. After they returned, Sakura had stayed with him at his apartment every night because she was plagued by her old feelings of abandonment. Kakashi wanted to pound Sasuke into the ground for hurting her all over again. Even though Kakashi assured her that he would be there for her no matter what, she was clingy and the nightmares of the past returned. Kakashi held her all night long, soothing her so she could get some sleep. His mind would wander and wonder if the woman that he loved so dearly still had feelings for her now returned ex-team mate. Kakashi loved Sakura more than life itself and only wanted her to be happy. He didn't know what he would do if her happiness included being with Sasuke. It would tear him apart. Kakashi angrily kicked a stone hard as he walked, earning wary glares from the people that he passed. He knew that his mood was dark and didn't want to take it out on others. With a heavy sigh, he had to get his emotions together so it didn't start affecting his work or his friendships. Kakashi quickly sped off to the nearest training ground to work off some of his anger. His paperwork would just have to wait.

* * *

Sakura had just finished her rounds with her team and was heading back to her office. All she wanted to do is hide in her office for awhile so she could get her thoughts straight. As she shut the door, she let out a deep sigh. The past 4 days since Sasuke had returned had been hell. She wished he would have been mean to her so all of the feelings she was experiencing now would have never resurfaced. Sakura felt bad for Kakashi having to deal with her insecurities and nightmares due to the situation. It made her realize that Kakashi truly loved her. She smiled to herself remembering his soothing words as he comforted her after her latest nightmare and how lucky she was to have a man who loved her so much.

Picking up her tea pot, she poured some tea that her assistant had left for her earlier that day. Sakura looked out the window as she sipped the cool tea. As she looked at the gardens outside, she wondered about Sasuke. Sakura made sure that someone was with her at all times when she was in his room, afraid of what the dark haired Uchiha would say to her if she was alone. She found herself questioning his motives and if he was truly sincere about his apology and the way he was treating her. It wasn't the Sasuke that she knew when she was younger. Time could have changed him, but he was with that psychopath so long that it didn't make sense that he was being so nice to her. At first, Sakura thought that Sasuke did have a head injury and ordered a bunch of tests to double check for any damage. All had came back negative. The staff had passed it off to Sasuke as normal procedure when someone had so many injuries. Every time she went into his room, she carefully watched his every movement trying to explain his sudden change. When she discussed her concerns with Naruto, he told her that Sasuke was just relieved and happy that he was back where he belonged. Naruto had noticed the change in his friend too, but was pleased that Sasuke honestly wanted to be back with them both. As she thought over the situation, maybe Sasuke was happy that he had survived and the trauma that he endured over the years was over. She hoped that was the case, but part of her didn't trust what she was seeing. Sighing, she sat down to focus on the ever growing pile of paperwork on her desk. Maybe she would go with Naruto to visit Sasuke and see how they interacted. She poured another glass of tea, and began her work.

* * *

The nurse had just put down Sasuke's dinner tray when Naruto and Sakura knocked on his door. Quickly, his mood brightened when he saw Sakura walk through the door with his friend. Naruto sniffed the food on the tray, made a face, and then told Sasuke that he had brought something much better for him to eat. The blond quickly presented Sasuke a take out bowl of ramen from a nearby ramen shop. Sasuke chuckled and shook his head as he thanked his friend for bringing him something else to eat.

"It's okay, right Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked hoping he didn't upset her.

"Of course, Naruto," Sakura smiled, "I'm sure that Sasuke is sick of the cuisine here at the hospital."

Naruto beamed as he pulled out two more bowls for the both of them. "Now we can have dinner together since teme is stuck here!" he exclaimed as he dug into the ramen.

As the group ate, Sasuke commented how Naruto hadn't changed too much, especially in the food department. Sakura laughed as she watched Naruto blush. Sasuke smiled as he enjoyed listening to Sakura laugh. It was good to see her smile and not be so professional around him. Since he came back, she was always talked about medical issues and didn't say too much to him unless it had to do with his medical status. He realized he had to give her some time to get used to being around him again. Sasuke smiled as he thought of how patient he would be in order to win her back.

After they finished the ramen, Hinata joined the group and reminded Naruto that they had plans at her family tonight. Naruto quickly said goodbye to his friends and told Sasuke that he would bring him some more ramen tomorrow for lunch. After the couple left, the room was suddenly quiet. Sakura stood and was about to excuse herself, but Sasuke asked her to stay and talk.

"It's been awhile, Sakura, and I want to hear all about what you are doing now," he smiled at her.

"Ummm…" she blushed.

"Don't worry. We will talk about anything you want to, okay? I don't want to make you uncomfortable."

She looked at him trying to see if he was sincere or not. Detecting no signs of deception, she sat down again. "So, what did you want to know?"

"Oh, anything. Hmmmm…Let's see," he thought, "How did you decide to be a medic? Or how did you find yourself studying under Tsunade? I had heard that she was a tough and didn't take on too many students."

Sakura started telling him how she decided to be a medic and how she asked Tsunade to be her teacher. She left out the painful parts on how his leaving pushed her to change, and the loneliness and pain she felt after he left. Soon they were laughing at some of the training that Tsunade put her through, like when she healed a rabbit and how it started running frantically in Tsunade's office trying to get out after she revived it. Sasuke noticed that Sakura had relaxed and was more herself as she talked. He was glad that she wasn't so tense any more. He also knew that it would take some time before she felt more at ease with him. Sasuke was willing to take all the time she needed to get close with her again.

* * *

Kakashi made his way to Sakura's office to pick her up so they could go out for dinner. Moegi, her assistant, told him that Naruto had convinced Sakura to visit Sasuke before she left for the day. Moegi gave Kakashi the room number that Sakura had left for Kakashi in case she didn't return to the office before he came to pick her up. Kakashi promptly thanked the girl for her help and quickly made his way down to Sasuke's room. He hoped that Sasuke wasn't torturing Sakura with any accusations or meanness that Sasuke was well known for. Kakashi steeled himself as he strode down the hall. He needed to be in complete control so he wouldn't escalate whatever he found when he arrived at Sasuke's room. Kakashi just hoped that Naruto was still there with Sakura to protect her.

As Kakashi approached the room, he heard laughing. Confused, he knocked on the door. Sasuke greeted Kakashi as he entered the room. Smiling stiffly, Kakashi asked if Sakura was ready to go and apologized to Sasuke saying that they had plans for the evening. Sasuke just nodded as Sakura stood up and went to Kakashi's side. His arm possessively went around her. Both men forced a smile on their faces for Sakura's sake.

"Well, Sasuke. It was nice talking with you again. Did you need anything before we leave?" Sakura asked breaking the tension.

"No, but thanks for asking, Sakura. I hope you will come back to talk some more. I really enjoyed it," Sasuke said with a smile.

Sakura could feel the pressure building between the two men and needed to get Kakashi out of the room before something happened. "I'll see you tomorrow for rounds. Try not to give the nurses a hard time, okay?"

"Hn," he grunted, "See you tomorrow, Sakura. Kakashi."

Kakashi nodded to his ex-student and quickly escorted Sakura out the door. He held Sakura possessively close as they made their way out the entrance of the hospital and led her to their favorite restaurant down the street.

* * *

The hostess escorted them to their favorite secluded booth and Kakashi slid in after Sakura. After the waitress took their orders, Sakura noticed that Kakashi looked like he had something on his mind. Normally he wasn't so quiet when they were alone. "So, spill it. What's on your mind?"

Kakashi looked over at Sakura and chuckled. "That obvious, huh?"

Sakura nodded waiting for Kakashi to tell her what was on his mind. It took awhile before he responded. "Sakura, I don't trust him. I'm worried about your mental state and I don't want him hurting you again. It would tear me up if you had to go through that anguish again," he finally told her.

Sakura couldn't argue with Kakashi. She didn't trust Sasuke either, at least not totally yet. The feelings that were brought up by his arrival were overwhelming. She thought that she had dealt with them long ago, but obviously she was wrong. "Kakashi, I'm not sure of how to feel about this situation either. I don't want to be hurt again. There is a part of me that wants to believe what I'm seeing with his behavior but the other part is screaming to be careful. All I know is that I love you and all Sasuke can be is a friend right now. You trust me, right?"

"Yes, of course I trust you," he said as he pulled her into his embrace to reassure her.

'The person I don't trust is Sasuke,' he said to himself. Kakashi knew that Sasuke was up to something, what he didn't know for sure yet. As they ate, Kakashi mentally went down a list of things he needed to do to find out what Sasuke was up to. There was no way that he would let Sasuke crush Sakura again.


	4. Jealousy

_Disclaimer – I do not own Naruto or any characters of said story._

**Jealousy**

As the days passed, Sakura found herself spending more time in Sasuke's room talking. He was happy when she came into his room to chat with him and he seemed to calm when she was there. The voice inside Sakura's head telling her to be careful around him was becoming quieter. She was still guarded, but it was nice to just have a friendly conversation with him. Sakura tried to visit when Kakashi was busy so he wouldn't have to endure her visits with Sasuke. The two men were pleasant to each other in her presence but there was obvious tension when they were in the same room. Naruto, as always, was oblivious to the tension, but he was usually distracted with his thoughts of Hinata or his training.

It was getting harder and harder for Sakura to balance the time between the two men. She didn't want either relationship to suffer. Sakura liked talking to Sasuke. The friendship between the two of them was much better than it ever had been. Sakura chalked it up to Sasuke being more mature and that he had a different prospective on life now. He had said on more than one occasion that he was grateful to be back in Konoha. She was curious about what had happened to her ebony haired friend all those years he was away, but she knew that Sasuke most likely saw things that were horrific and probably didn't want to talk about with her just yet. There was a sadness behind his eyes when he was quiet. There was something there that Sakura wished she could help him with. In time she hoped that he would share whatever was bothering him. Meanwhile, she would make sure he knew that she was there to listen to him no matter what he had to say. That would be the least she could do for her childhood friend.

* * *

Kakashi sped home to clean up before he made his way over to Sakura's apartment for dinner. Tomorrow he would be off on a week long mission and wanted to make sure that he spent the evening with Sakura. It was always hard when one of them was away for an extended period of time. The couple was used to seeing each other daily. Kakashi made a quick trip to the flower shop to pick up some pink roses for the woman he loved. He hoped that the roses would remind her of his love while he was away. This would be the first time he would be gone for an extended time since Sasuke had returned to the village. He was not feeling comfortable leaving. Kakashi had attempted to speak with his ex-student to pry out of him what he wanted with Sakura with no avail. The visit ended with a fight about Sasuke hurting Sakura all over again. Naruto had walked in before the fight had become too heated. The two men just glared at each other while Naruto tried to defuse the situation. Kakashi had stormed out of the room after he warned Sasuke with dire consequences if he hurt Sakura again. Losing control was not something Kakashi did very often and he berated himself afterwards for failing to control the situation. The smug smile on the Uchiha's lips as Kakashi walked out the door infuriated him. He just hoped that Sasuke didn't try anything while he was away. Anger was creeping up just thinking about the situation. Kakashi shook his head to clear his mind and focused on the evening ahead with Sakura.

* * *

Sakura hurried home to her apartment with the take-out bags so she could get ready for her evening with Kakashi. She had lost track of time after work because she was visiting with Sasuke. They had been reminiscing about Naruto's antics and before she knew it the sun was setting. Sakura quickly excused herself and ran to her favorite restaurant to pick up dinner. She knew that Kakashi wouldn't mind since she had a full day at the hospital. If he knew that she spent so much time with Sasuke, she was sure he would flip out on her. Quickly, she showered and dressed. As soon as she entered the kitchen, she heard Kakashi knock at the door.

After she opened the door, Kakashi swept her into his arms and kissed her deeply.

"You really know how overwhelm a girl," she giggled.

Smiling, he led her into her apartment and closed the door. He kissed her again. "Here, these are for you," he murmured.

Sakura thanked him as she smelled the beautiful roses. Kakashi followed her into the kitchen as she made her way to the sink to put the flowers in water.

"Sorry, Kakashi, I had a long day at work and didn't have time to cook. I hope you don't mind take-out," she smiled nervously.

"I don't mind," he smirked.

They both sat down and ate, talking about their day. Sakura avoided telling Kakashi the time she spent with Sasuke. She hated keeping it from him, but she wanted to spend the night with him not fighting about their ex-team mate. When she served him desert, he pulled her into his lap and began feeding her. Between each spoonful, he lovingly kissed her and licked the chocolate from her lips. Sakura couldn't think of a better way to enjoy ice cream. After they had finished eating, Kakashi picked her up and quickly took her to the bedroom.

* * *

The couple lay in each other's arms enjoying the time they had together before Kakashi needed to leave. It was a ritual of sorts between them. Before one of them had to leave on an extended mission, they would share the night with each other before they left. They made sure that if for some reason something went awry, at least they had spent their last night together in bliss.

Kakashi absent-mindedly played with Sakura's long pink hair as he held her. He loved how the moon light, that shown through her window, played with the color of her hair. It seemed to glow like a halo around her head. His thoughts turned to his mission and his concern about leaving her behind without finding out Sasuke's true intentions. At least he could some relief knowing that the Uchiha was still in the hospital, not running loose in the village. He hoped that the mission ended quickly so he could be around before Sasuke was released.

"Sakura," he murmured, "I want you to promise me something before I leave."

"Hmmm?" she asked.

"I want you to promise not to hang around with Sasuke too much while I'm gone."

Sakura quickly sat up and looked at Kakashi puzzled. "Why?"

"I don't want him to hurt you when I can't be around to help you. I still haven't found out what he really wants from you," he said sternly.

Sakura looked at him in disbelief. Didn't Kakashi think that she could take care of herself? She wasn't a little genin any more, she was a jounin! And a strong one to boot! Part of her understood that he was just trying to protect her because he loved her, but this macho crap was going too far.

"I can handle Sasuke myself, thank you very much!" she huffed angrily as she pulled away from him.

Kakashi knew that his request would probably rile her, but she was too trusting for her own good. He had heard rumblings that she visited Sasuke more than she told him. Part of him couldn't blame her response due to the way he reacted to his former student. But there was more than Sasuke just wanting to be friendly with Sakura. Sasuke was plotting something and he knew it, even though he hadn't figured it out yet. He didn't want to see Sakura pulled into Sasuke's trap.

"Sakura, be reasonable," he cajoled. "Sasuke wouldn't give you the time of day before and now he comes back and wants to be just friends? Come on, can't you see he is up to something?"

"Kakashi Hatake! Do you think I'm an idiot?" she spat, "If there was some kind of a plot, don't you think I would see it?"

Kakashi stared at her. He knew that there would be a chance that she would react this way once he brought this up. This wasn't the way he wanted to spend the night, not fighting with her about Sasuke.

"If you spent any time with him you would realize that he truly is happy to be back home after all the trauma he went through being with that monster. Can't you even consider that he just might be happy to be alive and want to make amends with the people he hurt the most? I haven't heard anything negative from him about you when I visit him. Why can't you do the same?"

It was Kakashi's turn to be astonished. Was she defending Sasuke to him? Sakura of all people should understand not giving this guy another chance. She was the one that was hurt the worst when he left them all behind. Sakura was a mess afterward. It took years for her to let anyone in close to her. He hated to remember the pain in her eyes all those years. Kakashi's mind drifted when a little voice in his head suggested that maybe she still loved Sasuke and wasn't over him yet. Kakashi gasped. Could it be that she still loved Sasuke and hadn't let go like she had told him? The green monster of jealousy over took him.

Sakura looked at Kakashi when he gasped. His face changed and she could see the anger building in his eyes. She shrunk back afraid of what he would say next.

"So you admit it then! You have been sneaking behind my back to see him, haven't you?" he growled and grabbed her shoulders. "I didn't want to believe what I heard, but its true then? Well, ANSWER ME!!"

For the first time in her life, she was afraid of Kakashi. His eyes were wide with rage as his eyes bore through her to her very soul. It was like she was staring at someone else, not the man she loved and the man that protected her. "Kakashi, you're hurting me," she whimpered.

"You still love HIM, don't YOU? ANSWER ME!!"

Tears ran down her face as he shook her. She was so astonished, that she couldn't talk. Kakashi stared at her as the color left her tear soaked face. He finally gained control of himself and roughly let go of her. Swearing to himself for losing control, he suddenly started dressing. He had to get out of here before he did something he regretted.

"Kakashi, where are you going?" Sakura said in a small voice, "Don't you know that I only love you, not Sasuke?"

All Kakashi could do is glare at her. Was she kidding herself or had he over reacted? All he knew is if he didn't get out of here soon, he was going to burst and maybe hurt her. He needed to think this through. He hoped that he was just over reacting and that her words were the truth. If they weren't, he didn't know if he could survive the pain.

"I'm sorry Sakura, I need to leave," he said curtly as he strode to the door.

"Don't go. Don't leave like this!" she begged.

"Maybe this time apart will be good for us to both think about what we want. I do love you Sakura. More than you will ever know," he said as he left and shut the door.

Sakura ran to the door, but it was too late. Kakashi was gone. All that remained was a puff of smoke on her doorstep. "I love you too, Kakashi," she whispered through her tears in the empty hallway.


	5. Sweet Pain

_Disclaimer – I do not own Naruto or any characters of said story._

**Sweet Pain**

Sakura sat looking out her office window forlornly. It had been a couple of days since Kakashi left and she was still feeling depressed. Tsunade was surprised when Sakura asked for the past 2 days off from work. She could hear the pain Sakura's voice when she spoke with her and was concerned about her well being. Sakura didn't share her personal problem with Tsunade because she was afraid that the hokage would take her anger out on Kakashi when he returned. That's all she needed to add to their fight. All she could think about now is his return and how to convince him that she loved him, not Sasuke. A tear rolled down her cheek as she thought of his harsh words.

There was a gentle knock at the door, but Sakura was lost in thought so she didn't hear it. Slowly her door opened and Naruto stuck in his head to see if Sakura was there. He was worried about his pink-haired friend. The day after Kakashi left, he had stopped by Sakura's apartment to find her sobbing her heart out. The only thing that he got from her was that Kakashi was angry and something about Sasuke being the cause of it. Sakura was sobbing so bad he couldn't understand what she was trying to tell him. He spent a few hours with her just holding her so she could get herself together. As usual, he was confused by what was going on and figured it was a lovers spat that would blow over when Kakashi returned. Needless to say, he was suspicious of Sasuke and wondered what part he played in this mess. Naruto had walked into a tense situation with the two men a short time ago, but neither of them shared what was going on. All he knew is that Sakura was hurting and he needed to be there for her so she could get herself together. He didn't like to see his team mate so upset.

"Sakura, are you okay? Is it okay to come in?" he asked gently.

"Hi Naruto," she smiled at him, "What brings you here?"

"Just checking on one of my favorite girls," he chuckled as he sat down in one of her chairs. "All well with you?"

"Fine, just waiting for Kakashi to come back," she sighed. "You don't have to worry about me, Naruto. I'll be fine."

She was smiling, but he hoped that Sasuke wasn't doing anything to hurt her again. Sakura hadn't visited Sasuke since Kakashi left. Sasuke was asking Naruto where she was every time he stopped by his room. He was to be discharged today and Naruto was to be his babysitter until the hokage could trust Sasuke again. Naruto could only hope that his friend wouldn't cause trouble for Sakura. He would do everything in his power so the Uchiha wouldn't hurt her again.

"Okay Sakura, I have to go," he told her, "I have some meetings at the jounin office then I have to babysit Sasuke when he is released later this evening. Do you want to have lunch with me and Hinata?"

"Thanks, Naruto, but I have a staff meeting today," she said, "Don't worry, I'll be fine."

The blond haired ninja walked over and gave her a hug, telling her to call him if she needed anything. He left one of his messenger toads for her to summon if she needed him. Sakura kissed his cheek thanking him, and telling him to say hi to Hinata when he saw her. She watched as her best friend walked out the door to start his day. With Sasuke being discharged, she could avoid him better and she knew that Naruto would make sure that their contact was limited due to the situation. She just hoped when Kakashi came back that they could iron out their differences and be happy again. Sasuke would just have to realize that her relationship with Kakashi was vital to her and that their friendship would have to wait until she patched things up. She hoped that she could remain friends with Sasuke but would give it up for the sake of being with the man she loved.

* * *

As the week dragged on, Sasuke was becoming more insistent that he talk with Sakura. Naruto never dreamed that his assignment of watching over Sasuke and keeping him away from Sakura would be this difficult. The man was not taking no for an answer. Naruto tried to appeal to Sasuke's practical side with no avail. He was sure if he wasn't watching Sasuke, Sasuke would make a bee line straight to Sakura's doorstep. Naruto was glad he had Hinata to help him keep the Uchiha busy and distracted, but he doubted that they were doing a good job because Sasuke was forever asking questions about Sakura. The week was coming to a close and Naruto hoped that Sakura could patch things up quickly with Kakashi so he would have some peace from his friend pestering him about Sakura.

Sakura stayed pretty much to herself the whole week, burying herself in her work like she usually did when she was upset. It helped not think of the mess her personal life had become. Tsunade knew the basics of what was going on because she forced it out of Sakura. Sakura edited the story so neither Kakashi or Sasuke would feel Tsunade's wrath. Of course Tsunade took Kakashi's side since she didn't trust Sasuke that much, especially since he spent so much time with her twisted old team mate. Tsunade helped keep Sasuke busy so Sakura wouldn't have to deal with him.

At home, Sakura prepared herself for Kakashi's return. It was always a happy time when they reunited from an extended mission and she was hoping that the time away cooled his temper down. Sakura really missed him this week probably due to the way he left. It felt like a part of her was missing. All week she couldn't shake the nauseous feeling every time she thought about that night. She was ready to put this all behind her and move on.

Every night she waited expectantly for him to show up. In the morning, she would check his apartment out to see if he had arrived. At the beginning of the next week, she started worrying about his well being. Kakashi was chronically late, but was always prompt when it came to finishing a mission. Sakura told herself that the mission must have had a small glitch and that he would be home soon.

* * *

Everyone around her could see the tension in her face. Normally, Sakura was a happy talkative person, but she kept to herself and didn't say much. Sakura was dropping by more often to Tsunade's office to see if she heard anything. It was hard for her mentor to watch her favorite student go through so much pain while she tried to convince Sakura that Kakashi would be home soon. Another week went by while everyone waited for some kind of news from Kakashi or his team.

Almost 3 weeks went by when one of Kakashi's team members stumbled through the gates of Konoha. Tasha was battered, bruised, and barely conscious when she fell into the arms of one of the guards at the gate. Sakura was in the emergency room when Tasha was brought in. The team quickly went to work to save the petite chuunin as Tsunade and Sakura stood by. A feeling of dread washed over Sakura as she took count of all the injuries the girl withstood. She knew how Kakashi was with protecting his team mates and hoped that he sent the wounded girl ahead while he finished things off. The guard at the gate was told to let Tsunade know immediately if any other shinobi showed up from Kakashi's team.

It was a few hours later before Tasha could talk. She told the hokage how their target was difficult to track and how they were ambushed when they finally found his lair. The fighting had been intense and she had been hurt early on. Kakashi had summoned one of his ninken to get her out of the battle and get her back to Konoha so she could be healed. Tasha said that she had passed out but the dog brought her most of the way home. As soon as the ninken saw she could get to the gate, he disappeared so he could help his master.

Sakura blanched as the girl told her story. She wondered what had happened to the rest of the team and Kakashi. When the tale was done, Tsunade reassured the girl that she would heal in time and that her prognosis was good. As the women left the room, Sakura became dizzy. Tsunade escorted her to the hokage's office to wait for more news about the team. As Sakura sat numbly on Tsunade's couch, she heard her master summon Neji's team to search for the rest of the missing team. Tsunade told Sakura that they would find them no matter what. Sakura just nodded through her daze.

* * *

A few hours later, Tsunade was told that Kakashi's team had arrived at the gates. Sakura stood unexpectedly when she heard the news. The guard nervously looked at the hokage and the chief medic. He knew that Sakura and Kakashi were involved and didn't want to be the one to tell her that Kakashi hadn't come back. Both women's tempers were legendary and he liked his body intact. As he stumbled on his words, thankfully Neji stepped through the door to update the hokage. The guard quietly excused himself mumbling that he needed to get back to his post and made a quick getaway.

Neji bowed to the hokage and anxiously looked at Sakura. He knew this would be difficult for her to hear. Taking a deep breath, he gave his report. When he got to the part about not finding Kakashi at all, he saw Sakura fall back onto the couch. Both Tsunade and Neji were at her side to make sure she was okay. Tears streamed down her face as she assured her friend and mentor that she was fine. Neji told her that Kakashi was strong and that he had been in worse positions during his career. He added that he had saved the rest of the team and all of them were alive due to his quick thinking. The two of them stayed by her side as they waited for an update on the team.

Sakura was just starting to calm, when there was a knock at the door. Tsunade bellowed to come in, and Naruto apprehensively made his way into the room. All eyes went to him as he turned to pick up Pakuun to bring him into the room. Naruto told Tsunade how the little dog found him and had a message for the hokage and Sakura both. Sakura just stared blankly as the tears started flowing again. It was obvious that the little pug had gone through a lot and was exhausted. Usually he was boisterous, but the little dog did not say a thing.

"Sakura, did you want to read your letter in private?" the hokage asked gently as she handed her the letter.

"Ummm…no, I'm not ready to read it yet. Please tell us what yours has to say first," she croaked.

Nodding, Tsunade opened the sealed letter. She quickly scanned the letter so she could be prepared for what it said. Looking up, Tsunade soundlessly told Naruto to go to Sakura's side. With Sakura in the middle, Neji and Naruto soothingly took her hands to support her while Tsunade read the letter.

Clearing her throat, Tsunade began to read the letter. Kakashi wrote about how the target was difficult to find and when they finally found his lair, his associates were there waiting for the team. He went on to say how his team fought valiantly even though they were out numbered. Kakashi went on to say how he lured the remaining forces away from his team so they could safely reach home. He had just eliminated their original target but unfortunately their target had led him into the stronghold of the enemy where he was greatly outnumbered. Kakashi asked her to keep Sakura safe and to look out for her. He asked Naruto to protect Sakura since he probably would not be back. At the end of the letter, he apologized to the hokage for not coming home but assured her that the mission was completed successfully and his team survived, which meant everything to him. When Tsunade finished the letter, there were tears in her eyes.

Sakura sat on the couch as her world crumbled around her. Suddenly she stood up, and announced that she needed to leave. As her friends tried to convince her not to leave, she took two steps, and then collapsed. Naruto quickly caught her and looked up anxiously at the hokage. Tsunade told him to take Sakura to the hospital quickly, as she followed the two men.

* * *

When Sakura awoke, the sun was blazing through the window. At first she thought she had a horrible dream, but as she looked around she realized she was at the hospital. Naruto was sitting at her side watching her as she woke.

"Please tell me I had a horrible dream Naruto, please," she begged.

"I'm sorry, Sakura. I wish I could," he said softly as he took her hand.

Sakura let out a wail as she realized that her love was gone. The hole that she felt in her chest ached. Naruto sat on the side of the bed and held her, feeling helpless. It brought back memories of when Sasuke left and how she fell to pieces then. Naruto knew this would be much worse since she loved Kakashi much more than the Uchiha. He hoped that he would be strong enough to help her through this again.

When she finally calmed, Naruto reminded her that she still hadn't opened the letter that Pakuun had delivered to her. She blankly stared at it as she touched it. Part of her wanted to rip it open and read it, but the other part knew if she did she would have to deal with the loss of the man she desperately loved. Knowing that nothing would change the outcome at this point, she steeled herself and gingerly opened the letter.

_My Dearest Sakura,_

_I can't express how sorry I am that we fought the night before I left. If I could take it all back, I would. The past few weeks out here have been torture to me knowing that I hurt you. I would do anything to just have the chance to hold you in my arms again. I never wanted to be a source of pain to you._

_Knowing how you are, you probably know the contents of the letter I wrote to Tsunade. I want you to know that I have never loved anyone the way I love you, and you are the most precious thing to me. You saved me from my past, and made me the happiest man alive by being with you. Know that my love for you has no bounds and even if I am not here with you physically, I will be with you always. I don't want you to grieve for me, Sakura. I want you to be happy and to find happiness again. If there is anything you do in your lifetime, please do this for me. Don't waste your life like I did all those years before I found love with you. My last hope is for you to be happy until we meet again when it's your time to leave this earth. I will be watching over you and waiting until we can be together again._

_I'm sorry that I didn't come back to you, my love, but this is the life of a shinobi. Know that my thoughts are of you as I make my final stand._

_With all of my love,_

_Kakashi_

The letter fell from Sakura's hands as she finished reading it. Her face was blank with tears falling from her eyes. As Naruto looked at her, her eyes rolled back into her head and she passed out.

* * *

When she woke again, Naruto, Hinata, Tsunade, Ino, and Shizune were hovering over her bed. Sakura just stared at all of them. This wasn't real she told herself. It was just a bad dream that wasn't ending. Soon she would be awake and Kakashi would be at her side, but part of her knew that it wasn't a dream.

"Sakura," Tsunade said, "Sakura, are you okay?"

Sakura stared at her mutely and nodded.

"Sakura, I need to tell you something and I need you hear me. It's very important that you focus in on what I am telling you, okay?"

Sitting up, Sakura tried to focus on the words that her mentor was about to tell her.

"Sakura, I did some tests on you when you didn't wake to make sure you were physically okay," Tsunade said slowly, "One of your lab tests came back positive."

Sakura's eyes opened wide. First, everything she lived for was cruelly taken away from her. Now, she had something awful to deal with alone. What was it? Cancer? Deadly disease? How much more did she have to deal with?

"Sakura, you're pregnant. Did you hear me? You are pregnant."


	6. Painful Beginnings

_Disclaimer – I do not own Naruto or any characters of said story._

**Painful Beginnings**

Sakura propped her tired feet up on the bench she was sitting on in the park. It was a beautiful day and she was sick of being stuck inside. Her hand went to her swollen abdomen and gently stroked it. Soon her little one would be finally be with her. A tear slid down her cheek as she thought of Kakashi and if their child would ever know his or her father. Her pregnancy seemed long due to the fact that she had to deal with Kakashi being missing. Several ANBU teams had been sent out to find him but all of them came back with nothing, not even a body. Sakura couldn't move on either way due to the lack of information about his disappearance. Her friends urged her to deal with his death, but she refused. There was a large part of her that was convinced that he was still alive. Until she had evidence of the contrary, she would continue to hope for his safe return.

Her thoughts drifted to her friends and how supportive they have been through this difficult time. At first, it was like she was catatonic. Naruto, Hinata, Ino, and Genma did everything for her. They made sure that she ate, slept, and basically took care of her. The only time she had a response is when Sasuke came around. She would scream for him to get away from her because of the painful memory of the last time she was with Kakashi. The last time she was with him, they fought about her friendship with Sasuke. It tore at Sasuke because he wanted to comfort her and help her through all of this. He understood her pain so he decided to do things for her behind the scenes so he wouldn't upset her.

Naruto and Sasuke moved her to the new bigger apartment that Tsunade got for her and set up a nursery for the baby. Sakura was amazed when she walked through the nursery for the first time. Naruto told her that Sasuke did most of the work and made sure that she knew all of the things Sasuke had done to help her out. Sakura was awestruck by everything that he had done. The room had touches of Kakashi in it so their child had a piece of him included in the room. Naruto told her that Sasuke went to great extents to find things that represented Kakashi and the Hatake family so the baby would have a part of his or her father. It was at that time she realized how much Sasuke had changed.

After a few months, she started letting Sasuke slowly back into her life. Of all of her friends, he understood her fears about the baby missing Kakashi in his or her life and her loss in general. He was one of her strongest allies when someone urged her to move on and accept that Kakashi was dead. Sasuke followed her lead and didn't push himself on her. He made sure that she was well taken care of even if he couldn't be there physically for her. There were many of times that she caught Naruto and Sasuke heatedly debating who would do something for her. Now, she was thankful that she had him as a friend because he understood her pain. She knew if Kakashi could see all that Sasuke had done for her and how he had supported her, Kakashi would have changed his mind about his intentions.

Sakura leaned back and closed her eyes enjoying the sun on her face. Tsunade had told her to relax and ordered her not to work in the last month and a half of her pregnancy. Sakura had fought her at first but was happy that she did because of how tired she really was.

"Sakura," a gentle voice roused her.

Sakura opened her eyes and saw the smiling faces of Naruto and Sasuke. "Oh! Hi guys!" she smiled.

The two men sat down next to her. "We brought you your favorite – chocolate truffle ice cream with strawberries and candied pecans," Sasuke smiled.

Sakura's eyes were wide as he handed her the sundae. Until they came by, she hadn't realized how hungry she was. The men chuckled as she dug into the ice cream greedily. After she was done, they suggested a walk with her. Both of them helped her up from the bench. They both inquired about how she felt and made sure all was fine with her. Soon she tired and they sat down to take a break. Naruto took off to get something for her to drink from one of the vendors in the park while Sasuke watched over her.

"Sasuke," she looked up at him, "I wanted to thank you for all your help and support through all of this. You have no idea how much this means to me and the baby."

Sasuke stared at her and nodded. "It's the least I can do for you, considering what you are going through right now. I'm just glad I'm here to help." He nervously looked away. Sakura could have sworn that she saw a slight blush on his cheeks.

"I know that Kakashi would thank you if he could be here," she smiled at him.

Sasuke squeezed her hand in acknowledgement not knowing what to say. The two friends sat there until Naruto came back with lemonade for her. As she gulped it down, the baby started kicking vigorously. Both men watched in awe as they saw her stomach move. "Did you want to feel?" she asked shyly.

Both silently nodded their heads as she took their hands and lay it on her belly. The two friends looked at each other in shock as they felt the baby kick.

"Wow!" Naruto exclaimed, "Have you ever felt anything like that before, Teme?"

Sasuke shot his loud friend a look. "Baka, keep it down! The whole park can hear you!"

Sakura chuckled as the two men sat there stunned on what they were experiencing. After she was rested, they walked her back to her apartment where Hinata and Ino were waiting with dinner. Her friends had made it a habit recently to have dinner with her every night since her pregnancy was nearing an end. She still had more than a month to go, but they wanted to be close just in case she needed someone.

* * *

As Kakashi's birthday grew near, Sakura became more and more depressed. Everyone did their best to be there for her so she didn't feel like she was alone. There were times that she could be in a crowded room surrounded by her friends that she felt totally alone. She was tired of supposed well meaning people giving her advice on how she should move on with her life. Although most people thought her irrational, she wouldn't give up hope until she saw Kakashi's body. She knew about stories about shinobi coming back after most people gave them up as dead. Those closest to her gave up months ago trying to convince her to move on and just supported the best they could.

Soon the day she dreaded was upon her. Sakura knew that she should be strong for the baby's sake but all of the pain she had pent up inside her just flooded out. The village had set up a memorial service to honor him due to his birthday, but she couldn't find the strength to go. To her, it was admitting that he would never come back. Even though she promised Naruto and Sasuke that she would go, she never made it past her bedroom door. Sakura sat on her bed and sobbed her heart out. Her team mates were frantic when she wouldn't open the door for them.

Tsunade came with her set of keys to open the door to check on her student after the service was over. She knew that this day would be the hardest on Sakura. When Naruto came to tell her that no answered the door at Sakura's apartment, she was naturally concerned about Sakura's well being. As they entered the apartment, it was deathly silent. They all ran to the bedroom and found Sakura slumped on the floor not responding. Sasuke quickly picked her up and placed her on the bed so Tsunade could examine her.

After her examination, she discovered Sakura was in labor and needed to be taken to the hospital immediately. Sakura was dehydrated and had placed herself and the baby in danger. Sasuke quickly swept her up in his arms and rushed to the hospital before anyone had time to react. Naruto and Sasuke were asked to stay outside her room while Tsunade, Shizune, Ino, and Hinata took care of her.

* * *

Sasuke was frantic with worry about Sakura's condition. Even though he didn't show it outwardly, he panicked when he picked her up and she didn't respond. She was feather light in his arms as he bore her to the hospital. Now he had to sit here waiting to see what was happened to her. Naruto's pacing was not helping his mood.

Over the months, his feelings for Sakura intensified. Her pain brought back bitter memories for him. Thinking of all he had gone through with losing his family, he knew what Sakura must be going through. Sasuke thought when he killed his brother, it would all disappear, but it didn't. There was a giant hole left in his soul and being with Sakura helped fill most of that hole. He hoped one day that she would let go of Kakashi's memory and let him into her heart. Sasuke was determined to have her as his own no matter how long it took. He would accept her child because it was a part of her. Watching her as she dealt with her pregnancy only solidified his choice of rebuilding his life with her. She would be the perfect mother in his eyes.

Sasuke let out a sigh of frustration. Not knowing what was going on was driving him mad. Running his fingers through his ebony hair, he didn't know how much longer this could take. Both Naruto and himself had spent most of the day waiting. Sasuke's gaze went out the window to watch the sun set. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw some more staff go into Sakura's room. He could only hope all was well inside with Sakura and the baby.

* * *

After an hour had gone by, Tsunade wearily came out of the room. The sun had set and the sky was now dark. Sasuke and Naruto stood as the hokage made her way to them and slowly sat down.

"So?" Naruto asked anxiously.

Tsunade looked up at the men and smiled. "It's a boy. He's small but holding his own for now. He's a few weeks early so we are going to need to watch him for a bit."

Naruto had a big grin on his face but it was obvious that he didn't know how to react.

"And Sakura?" Sasuke asked.

"She's fine for now, resting. All of this took a lot out of her," the hokage said quietly. "Ironic, don't you think?"

"What's that Baa-chan?" Naruto asked.

"The baby was born on Kakashi's birthday," she said.

The three of them sat there mulling over what she had said in silence. Finally, Sasuke couldn't take it any more and asked if they could go in to see Sakura. Tsunade told them that they could, but to keep it light and make it a short visit. She was still worried about Sakura's mental status.

* * *

Sakura stared down at her son in her arms. She was thankful that he was okay, but concerned that he was premature. If anything happened to him, she didn't know what she would do. Like any mother, she made sure he had 10 fingers and 10 toes, and looked him over to make sure there were no abnormalities. The boy was the spitting image of his father including his unruly silver hair. If Kakashi never returned to her, their son would be a constant reminder of him. A bitter smile played on her lips as the tiny boy clutched her finger. Ino was cooing to the baby and telling him how handsome he was, while Hinata watched in awe at the new life in her friend's arms.

The women heard a knock at the door and when they looked up, saw Naruto and Sasuke peering from the door. Sakura bade them to enter and welcomed them in to meet her new son. Naruto had a big grin on his face as he told the baby who he was and welcomed him to the world. Sasuke stood next to him and looked down at mother and child with a sense of relief that both were well.

After awhile, Sakura asked if she could have a moment alone with Sasuke so she could talk with him. Ino, Naruto, and Hinata said their goodbyes and told her that they would be back in the morning to check in on them. Naruto looked back at his team mates wondering what was going on before he left the room.

"So, Sakura," Sasuke finally said, "What do you want to talk about?"

"Sasuke, I wanted to talk to you about the baby's name," she smiled up at him. "I wanted to ask permission before I named him. Kakashi's best friend when he was younger was an Uchiha and I only thought it was proper to ask you since he was part of your family."

Sasuke looked down at the baby and considered her request. He had heard the stories when he was younger about Obito Uchiha and how he gifted his sharingan to Kakashi before he died in the line of duty. His eyes met Sakura's as he thought.

"Sakura, I know Obito would be honored that the baby would have his name," he finally told her, "especially his best friend's child."

Sakura thanked him and asked if he would like to hold the baby. Nodding, he sat down besides her as she gently handed over her son. He felt honored that she trusted him enough to let him hold little Obito. A warm feeling washed over him as he cradled the small child in his arms. The small boy opened his eyes to look at the man that held him. Sasuke never felt the completeness that he felt at this moment. He knew that this child was not his own, but a part of someone that he cared deeply for. No matter what, he would protect this boy and his mother.

Sakura watched her friend as he held her child. She saw a small smile wash over his face as he held the baby. It was a look that she hadn't seen since Sasuke was a child when he first started at the academy. She knew in her heart that her son was touching Sasuke in a way that no one had done since then. Tears came to eyes as she watched her hardened friend soften as he held the small boy.

Sasuke noticed her tears and he was immediately concerned. "Sakura, are you okay? Do I need to call Tsunade back?" he said anxiously.

"No, I'm fine," she said through her tears, "Just happy that you could share this moment with me."

Sasuke stared at her as he considered what she had just said to him. He smiled heartened by what he had heard from her. No matter how long it took, he would win her over and make her his.

* * *

Deep in the forest, in an underground prison, the night is disturbed by a painful howl of one of the inmates. The guards quickly quieted him with their fists and left him unmoving on the dirt floor.


	7. Moving On

_Disclaimer – I do not own Naruto or any characters of said story._

**Moving On**

Obito's first year of life was a difficult one due to his early entrance to the world. As the young boy grew, he became stronger much to his mother's relief. Even though he was sickly, the boy was extremely intelligent and amazed everyone around him. It wasn't a surprise to Sakura though, he was the son of the infamous Copy Nin. All of her friends doted on him and made sure that there were several strong male influences in his life. Sasuke made sure he was there for both mother and child, and made sure that all their needs were fulfilled.

Sakura was amazed in the changes in Sasuke. He was like a changed person. He enjoyed staying home with her and Obito and would play with the almost 2½ year old for hours. Sasuke was already teaching the boy simple jutsus which Obito absorbed like a sponge. It was heartwarming seeing the once hardened man taking time to show the toddler the wonders of the village. More and more Sasuke was becoming a major part in her life. Sakura was happy that she had someone to lean on without that person demanding something in return. Her heart was still hoping that Kakashi would come back to her against the odds. Sasuke was safe and protected her and her child. She was forever grateful to him for being such a good friend and protector.

Even though she was a mother now, she still put in a lot of hours at the hospital. During the day, Obito was at the day care in the hospital so she could spend lunch and any breaks with him. If she had to stay late Sasuke would pick up the toddler and bring dinner for Sakura. When he was out on a mission, Naruto, Hinata, or Ino would watch the boy until Sakura was done. Genma would check in with Sakura and Obito from time to time, but children made him nervous. He always made sure that Sakura knew he was there, just in case she needed anything.

As time went on, Sakura, Obito, and Sasuke started resembling a family, much to most of the female population on Konoha dismay. Sasuke told Sakura several times that he wasn't interested in the fan girls, now women that swarmed around him. It was too much effort for him. He rather spend time with Sakura and Obito. It made him feel more complete.

* * *

Sakura watched Obito and Sasuke out the window one day while she washed the dishes. The dark haired man and her son looked like they were father and son. Obito's eyes were bright with admiration for the Uchiha as he showed him how to the throw practice shurikens he had bought for the child. Sakura realized how important Sasuke was to her little boy. The two would talk about Kakashi from time to time, especially when Obito asked if Sasuke was his father. Sasuke was always complimentary to the silver-haired ninja when he was talking to Obito. Sakura was thankful to Sasuke for those times because it was still very painful for her to think let alone talk about her lost love. Her son knew about his father and what a great man he was. Sasuke would never talk about Kakashi as if he died, but explained to the intelligent boy that he had gone out on a tough mission and that everyone hoped that he would be back soon. Tears came to her eyes as she thought of the time that Obito looked up at Sasuke and asked him to be his father if Kakashi didn't come home. Sasuke had hugged the young boy and promised that he would always be there for him whether or not his father was back with them or not.

* * *

Tsunade called Sakura to her office soon after the third anniversary of Kakashi's disappearance. She wanted Sakura to move on with her life. It was obvious to her that Kakashi was never coming back. Watching Sakura was painful and she didn't want her to live the type of lonely life that she had. Sakura had a child to think of. Even though she wasn't initially thrilled about Sasuke being involved in Sakura's life, she had to admit that the Uchiha heir had stepped up and helped Sakura in many ways. From what she could see, both of them had benefited from the friendship and Obito had a strong father figure to look up to. It surprised Tsunade how complimentary Sasuke was of Kakashi when it came to Obito. She knew that there was a rivalry between the two men as far as Sakura was concerned, but she never expected Sasuke to sing his praises about Kakashi to the young boy. Obito had told her the things that Sasuke had told him about his father when he visited her. All in all she was impressed by the quiet man.

When Sakura was summoned, a feeling of dread washed over her. She was glad that Obito was spending time with the now married Naruto and Hinata today and could count on them if she needed some time to deal with what the hokage told her. Sasuke was out on a mission and she didn't know when he would be back. She hoped for her sake it would be later today because she had a feeling that she would need his strong shoulder to lean on. As she walked to the hokage's office, she mused over their friendship and how she counted on her dark haired friend for comfort.

Tsunade heard a timid knock at her door and knew immediately that it was Sakura.

"Come!" she bellowed.

Sakura tentatively walked into the room and faced her mentor. "You called for me Shishou?"

"Yes, there are a couple of things we need to discuss. Please take a seat."

Sakura sat down nervously and kept her eyes on the hokage. Letting out a big sigh, she braced herself for what she was about to be told.

"Sakura, I know this is still painful for you, but we need to talk about Kakashi," Tsunade began.

The tears started flowing silently from Sakura's face as she stared at the woman before her.

"As you know, it's been three years since his disappearance, and according to village law, he has officially has been declared dead."

Sakura felt like a kunai had just been plunged into her heart. She protectively crossed her arms in front of herself to shield herself from the words that Tsunade was telling her. Tsunade went around her desk, put her arms around her student, and sat down next to her.

"Sakura, I have arranged for you to inherit all of Kakashi's assets and possessions. You will also be getting the stipend that Kakashi bequeathed to you just in case something happened to him. He made sure that you would be taken care of if the worst happened," Tsunade said quietly. She gave Sakura a few minutes to let what she had said sink in. "Sakura, please look at me."

Sakura looked up at the woman she considered as a mother through her tear soaked eyes.

"I don't want you to live the life I have due to my grief. I know that Kakashi didn't want you to live that life either. He had told me many of times that he just wanted you to be happy and to make sure that you lived your life to the fullest if he ever didn't return. Sakura, you have Obito to live for too. He needs his mother whole and happy, not one who is grieving all the time."

Tsunade supported her as she sobbed. Sakura knew she was right. She needed to give Obito all that she had so he could be have a happy childhood. At least she had a part of Kakashi in him. Even though she didn't want to move on, she could see the truth in Tsunade's words.

As Sakura started to calm, there was a knock at the door. She quickly composed herself and wiped away the remaining tears. Nodding to Tsunade, the hokage bade who ever was at door to enter.

Sasuke walked in and immediately knew that something was wrong with Sakura. She turned away when she saw him, trying to control the emotion that she was feeling. Sasuke looked at Tsunade silently questioning her on what was going on and the hokage just nodded to the puzzled man.

"Hokage-sama, I have my team's report of the mission here," he said figuring out why Tsunade had summoned him to her office as soon as he arrived at the gate.

"Thank you Sasuke," she said. "Sakura, I have said everything that I needed to and you will be getting a missive about the things we talked about earlier in the next week. If you need anything or have any questions, you know where I'm at."

"Hai, Shishou," Sakura said quietly.

"Sasuke, why don't you escort Sakura home for me please."

"Hai, Hokage-sama," he said.

Both of them bowed and left the office. As soon as they were out of reach of the building and in a secluded place, Sasuke pulled Sakura into his arms. She instantly fell apart.

"Ssshh, Sakura, I'm here now," he told her quietly as he held her.

Sakura wept uncontrollably as the dark haired man held her tightly. He let her get it all out because that is what she needed right now, then swept her up into his arms to find a quiet secluded place so they could talk. After he set her down, she began telling him what had happened and how she felt about it. Sasuke held her and listened as she poured her heart out to him.

"Sakura, you know I will always be here for both you and Obito, right?" he asked once she had finished.

She nodded and thanked him for being such a good friend. He held her as she gained control over herself again. They sat quietly for awhile in each other's presence. Sasuke wanted to give her some time before he broached a subject that had plagued his mind for a long time. He silently debated if this was the appropriate time or not. In the end, he thought it best to share his feelings with her. He hoped that he wasn't about to make the biggest mistake in his life.

"Sakura, I want to ask you something and I want you to think about it before you give me an answer, okay? Can you promise me that?" he said seriously.

Sakura nodded and focused on what he was about to say to her.

"I know I can't take Kakashi's place, nor do I want to, but I love you Sakura and I want to take care of you and Obito. You both are the most important people in my life and both of you have shown me how to live again. I want to marry you Sakura, if not now, in the future. If you can't commit to me like that right now, please move in with me. I would be honored if both of you would be willing to live with me. I love you both and cannot imagine my life without either one of you."

Sasuke was looking intently into her eyes, searching for her answer, hoping that he didn't overwhelm her. He had just poured his heart out to her taking the chance that she would crush him.

Sakura was shocked by his confession, but as she though about it, she should have realized how he felt about her and her son. She had to admit that she didn't like being alone when he wasn't there. She lowered her head and thought about what Sasuke just revealed to her. Sasuke trusted her with his feelings, feelings that he never showed anyone else. She was honored that he trusted her so much to share what he just did with her. This was a monumental step for her friend and she was happy she was the one to share that with him. Tears of joy started to flow from her eyes.

"Sakura, I didn't mean to upset you," he said nervously thinking that he had pushed too hard.

Shaking her head, her hand went to his cheek. "Sasuke, I'm not upset. I'm happy that you shared that with me. I know it was hard for you to say all of that."

Sasuke sighed with relief. He had felt strongly for her for awhile and was looking for the right time to share his feelings with her. Taking chances with his guarded heart wasn't something he did lightly.

"Sasuke, I can't commit to marrying you just yet, but both Obito and I would be honored to live with you. We are together all the time anyways and I know Obito would be thrilled to have you there all the time," she smiled through her tears. "Let's take it a step at a time and we can talk about marriage later after we see how it goes, okay?"

Sasuke let out the breath he had been holding since he revealed his feelings to her. Pulling her close into his embrace, he kissed her forehead. He was happy that he had a chance to show her how much he really cared about them both. Knowing that he was fighting a ghost, he was determined to prove to her that he was the better man and father.


	8. A Change in Plans

_Thanks for all of your reviews! It helped me decide on how I wanted to proceed with the story (had a couple of ways to get to the same ending). Thanks for all of your help! I hope you like it! Please review and let me know!_

_Also thanks for Caitiy for her story, "_Simple Things_." It was a source of inspiration especially when I was thinking of the jewelry section of this story. I remembered that I had read it in a story in the past, but couldn't remember where. It's taken me this long to find the source (I never realized how many stories I have read!). Thanks for the inspiration! _

_Disclaimer – I do not own Naruto or any characters of said story._

**A Change in Plans**

Sakura slowly packed her belongings from the back part of her closet. She had given the landlord the customary 2 month notice that she was vacating the apartment. He had been saddened by her departure because she was such a good tenant, plus a good friend of the hokage. Also, Sakura wanted some time to sort out everything before she moved in with Sasuke so she used the 2 month notice excuse to her advantage. She still had a nagging feeling that she should hold off moving on because in her mind Kakashi wasn't dead, even though everyone around her was trying to convince her otherwise.

Dealing with all Kakashi's belongings and assets was draining for her. There was so much to go through. She found out that he was the sole heir to the Hatake compound and the clan's wealth. She had never known where Kakashi's clan had lived prior to this, and from the looks of the map she was provided with, the compound wasn't small. Obito would have a nice start on life once he reached maturity. There were also scrolls with the family history and jutsus that only they were privy to. It would help Sakura later once Obito started school. She promised herself to make sure that Obito learned some of the family's trademark jutsus so he could proudly carry on the legacy that had been handed down to him.

She was amazed on how supportive her friends were when she told them about the move. Tsunade asked her if she was comfortable with all of it, but was accepting when Sakura told her the reason for her decision. Naruto was wary at first, trying to make sure that Sakura wouldn't get hurt again. He was like the brother that she never had. Naruto told her that if she was happy, that he would support her any way he could. Even with all of her friends support, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was making a huge mistake.

Sasuke was ecstatic about Sakura's decision. Soon she would be living with him, then it was only a matter of time before she would agree to be his wife. He was on his best behavior and made sure that she felt the love he had for her. Sakura's kitchen always had her favorite fresh flowers and he made more time to be with both Sakura and Obito so they both knew of his intentions. Obito worshiped the ground he walked on. The little boy was the key to his success with winning over Sakura.

* * *

The Uchiha mansion was being overhauled to make it more welcoming to the soon new members of the household. Sasuke knew that it needed updating, so took the opportunity to do so before Sakura and Obito moved in. It was good to have the place looking its best before they arrived. At first he was put off that he had to wait so long for them to move in with him, but now he looked at it as a blessing so he could have everything looking it's best for the woman he was trying to win over. There would be no way that she could refuse him after she saw what he could offer her and her child. Sasuke was thankful that the boy had shown natural talent. He would be a credit to his name as a son.

* * *

As the month progressed, Sakura notice subtle changes in Sasuke that on the surface didn't worry her, but as she saw it more and more, she began to wonder she was starting to see his true colors. He certainly was more attentive than before she had told him yes. When they went out, he still respected her space but wasn't too tolerant of any other male that came close. Even Naruto made a comment poking fun at his friend's possessiveness. Sasuke just shrugged it off if it was no big deal, but it was happening more and more often.

Thankfully, nothing had changed with the way he treated Obito. If anything, they were closer than ever. Sasuke spent his extra time helping train Obito, much to the boy's delight. Obito picked things up fast and had learned the basics easily. Sasuke promised him a ninken puppy once they moved into the Uchiha mansion. Obito never tired of talking about what kind of ninken that he wanted and the names he had picked out. Sakura didn't mind Obito having the puppy, but hoped it wasn't more responsibility than he could handle with training with the dog. Knowing his father's love of his pack, she couldn't refuse the boy. She had picked up some books on dogs and how to take care of them properly. Sakura would need to be ready when the big day finally came and never owning a dog herself, she was at a loss.

* * *

About 3 weeks before she was to move, she was compelled to check out the Hatake compound. Something was drawing her there, but she didn't know what. Her lawyer had urged her to initially assess the property and then decide how much needed repair. She would have to decide which properties she would use until Obito was old enough to make decisions on his legacy. She knew that it wouldn't be an easy task and had been putting off until now due to her inner turmoil about the whole situation. Sakura needed to get herself together before she showed her son his inheritance. She wanted to make sure he knew his father's family history and she had to be comfortable before she did that.

Sakura's hand traced over the family crest carved into the large wooden doors of the compound. She would always have a piece of him no matter what her future brought to her. As she turned the lock and walked in, she was amazed by the vastness in front of her. Even though it had been neglected for at least the past 3 years, there was a beauty that she was in awe of. The main house was done in a classical style including a pond and several gardens. She made a mental note to have a gardener come out and restore the landscaping to its previous beauty. If anything, it would be a nice retreat to visit when she needed a break.

Slowly she opened the door of the house, unsure of what she was going to find there. Except for a layer of dust, it was obvious that Kakashi had kept the building up. As she gingerly lifted up some of the dust covers, she was amazed at the beauty of the furniture that was there. She made her way to the large room and found Kakashi's ancestors smiling down on her. Kakashi had been the spitting image of his father, but definitely had his mother's eyes and smile. His mother was a beauty. Kakashi had never talked much about his mother due to the pain he suffered after his father had committed suicide and her untimely death, leaving the boy alone in the world. He had still been plagued with the nightmares of his parent's deaths when he slept over at her apartment. She would hold him in her arms soothing him in his sleep helping him as the nightmare passed. A tear slowly slid down her cheek remembering the all pain he had suffered due to their deaths.

Sakura moved on to the next room and found a room that Kakashi had obviously spent a lot of time in. In one corner, there were various weapons that he stored, all lovingly taken care of before the owner had disappeared. Her hand caressed the custom kunai that he had made with his family's crest upon it. When Obito grew and became a shinobi, she would show him his father's weapons and how to care for them. In another corner, there was his prized book assortment. She knew this by the tattered covers of the well used books. To her surprise, it wasn't all of his beloved Icha Icha collection. There were actually good books on the shelves. It was obvious that he spent some of his time reading here. She made another mental note to carefully pack away the porn before her impressionable son found them.

Near the window, there was a desk. As she moved in closer, she saw a picture of herself in a beautiful metal frame. On the desk was a journal. Her hand lovingly stroked the cover, debating if she was strong enough to read it. She picked it up and hugged it to her chest deciding to read it at a later time, knowing that she would need to prepare herself mentally before she did. Sitting down at the desk, she noticed another picture that was partially hidden by her own. She pulled it out and was surprised by what she saw. It was a picture of a much younger Kakashi without his mask. Her hands caressed the picture of her lost love. The more she looked at it, the clearer it became on what she needed to do. Gathering her things, she left the house, locked the door of the compound, and made her way to the lawyer's office to tell him of her plan.

* * *

The next morning, Sakura was at the gates of the Hatake compound early in the morning. Obito had stayed the night at Ino's house because Sasuke had taken her out yesterday evening. Obito loved staying with his friend Chokicki and his little brother Kenji, Ino and Choji's two sons. Ino and Choji had married after Temari had moved in with Shikamaru a few years back. The boys were all one year apart and Obito loved spending time with them. Ino had graciously offered to watch Obito after Sakura had told her about her plan yesterday after she had spoken to the lawyer. Her now best friend was concerned that Sakura was jumping into this relationship with Sasuke too quickly and wanted her to think about it more before she moved in with him. All Ino wanted is Sakura to be happy.

Sasuke had become irritated when she told him that she had visited the Hatake compound. He quickly regained his composure after she told him that the lawyer had insisted that she look over the property before making any decisions on how it should be cared for. Sakura wisely didn't tell him of her plan or he would have totally lost it. Needless to say, he was in a bad mood the rest of the night and left early stating that he had an extended mission that needed him to leave for at least 2 weeks starting in the morning. His short outburst had confirmed her decision to proceed with her plan.

The cleaning crew met her at the gates shortly after she arrived. She escorted them onto the property and showed them the rooms that she wanted cleaned. Kakashi's private room was to be untouched by the cleaning people, that was her task for the day. Her lawyer had made arrangements for a professional cleaning team to help her with cleaning up the house and to have a gardener come later that day.

Sakura had surveyed the work in the great room. It looked like Kakashi's ancestors smiled down at her from their pictures happy that the grime had been lifted. Satisfied with the work, she turned and found a small wiry older man and a younger version standing in the foyer.

"Are you Miss Haruno?" the younger man asked.

"Yes, I am Sakura," she smiled, "Are you the gardeners?"

"Yes, Sakura-sama, we are. This is my grandfather Isas Hanazono, and my name is Hisoka," he smiled at her.

"Thank you for coming, Hisoka-san, Isas-san," she said as she led them into the great room.

The older man smiled up at Sakura. "So you are Kakashi-san's Sakura. He told me of your beauty when we last spoke years ago. His words did not do you justice. I thought he was exaggerating, but I can see now that he was not. Me and my family have taken care of the great house for years. I have watched Kakashi-san grow throughout the years and have had many conversations with him."

Sakura was shocked by what the older man had shared with her. She was relieved that the lawyer had found someone trustworthy to care for the compound while she was away. The two men told her that they would start on the gardens and would come to see her later to update her on what needed to be done.

As the two men set off to start their work, Sakura made her way to Kakashi's private study. She opened the screens to let in the fresh air as she cleaned the room. The view was stunning and peaceful from the open windows. The room overlook a small brook with flowers and a small cherry tree. With a heavy sigh, she set off on her task to rid the room of all of the dust and grime.

* * *

After a few hours, she sat down by the desk and started rifling through the drawers. She found a beautiful mahogany box at the bottom of one of the drawers. As she pulled it out, she noticed that her name was on a piece of paper that was attached to the top of the wooden box. She looked closely and noticed that it had a chakra lock on it. Smiling to herself, she now realized why Kakashi had shown her how to open one of these long ago. Focusing her chakra, she gently opened the lock and the box. Inside there were pictures of them together, and some of Kakashi as a child. There were also some lovely pieces of jewelry stored inside and a note for her. She opened the note and held her breath as she read it to herself.

_Sakura,_

_In case I have been my charming self and haven't told you enough, I truly love you and will always love you forever. I am a man of few words especially when it comes to my feelings. I know I don't always act right or tell you how I feel, but I do love you more than I can ever express to you. Inside this box is some of the most precious things to me and I want you to have them all as well as my heart._

_Kakashi_

She noticed the date on the letter was the day that they had quarreled. He must of came here to think things through after they had fought. She looked through the pictures of them together as she remembered each time they were taken. Sensing someone behind her, she turned to find Isas and Hisoka behind her.

"Sorry to interrupt, Sakura-sama," Isas said quietly. The older man saw the box with the jewelry in it. "Did Kakashi-san leave you instructions on his mother's jewelry?"

Sakura shook her head no. Isas made his way over to her and showed her how the jewelry functioned. He told her that the jewelry had been in Kakashi's family for generations and was specially made for a konoichi. In the bracelet, there were hidden compartments for poisons or antidotes and in the hair combs there were thin senbons and wire. Deadly weapons were hidden in the most beautiful jewelry that she had ever seen. Most of the pieces had the Hatake crest engraved on them with white and pink sapphires and rubies inlayed into the pieces. She was touched by the generosity of her missing lover.

"You must miss him terribly," Isas softly said to her, "Hopefully, he will be back soon."

Sakura stared at the older man. "Isas-san, Kakashi has been declared dead. I'm afraid that he won't be coming back."

"No, no you are wrong. Kakashi-san is still alive. I will show you," he said assuredly as he took her hand and led her down the hallway.

They entered the great room and went through the door to the family shrine. On the wall was Kakashi's name as well as hers and Obito's. Isas smiled up at the confused woman and explained that if Kakashi's name was still written on the chakra infused wall, that he was still alive. Sakura stared at the man in disbelief, silently hoping that the man was right.

* * *

The ragged man stopped by the stream to catch his breath and to drink some water. It had been a long time since he had been able to use his chakra and breathe the fresh air. As he stooped down to drink, he noticed how his face had changed and the beard that had grown. He quickly washed his face in the stream and rinsed his long unruly hair. He knew that he couldn't stay here long, not if he wanted to remain free. Gathering himself, he tested his depleted chakra so he would be able to defend himself if needed. Growling his frustration on how weak he had become, he quickly focused on his escape route and how to find his way home. The need to be with the one he loved over took him and gave him the strength to carry on his journey. His dreams had told him of the impending danger she was in and nothing would stop him until she was with him again, safe and sound. He would deal with the one who inflicted the pain as soon as he was strong enough again. 'No mercy,' he muttered as he took off running towards home.


	9. Deliverance

_Disclaimer – I do not own Naruto or any characters of said story._

**Deliverance**

Kakashi had made it to the perimeter of the forest where he collapsed, only to be found by a farmer and his wife. They took him in and called the local doctor for help. He was lucky that he was found by the couple instead of the guards that had been tailing him all the way through the forest. It surely would have meant death or more torture for him. There had been other prisoners that had escaped the encampment in the past that they had helped before. All of the villagers knew of the evil doings in their forest, but were powerless to stop the brigands from their deeds. Most of them tried to ignore what was going on, but a few did what they could to save the poor souls that found their way to their doors.

Once the doctor looked him over, he realized that Kakashi had the implants that the brigands put under his skin at the base of his neck. The implants were used by the brigands to subdue their prisoner and to drain the fight out of them. Kakashi was having a reaction to it and had also had an infection. When the doctor did the surgery, he was amazed that found two implants there. He wondered how strong the silver-haired man really was that warranted two of the incapacitating implants to be placed under his skin to control him. Sensing that the farmer was in danger of keeping this man in his home to care for him, the doctor moved Kakashi in the dead of night to his home outside of the perimeter of the forest where the brigands refused to tread.

Kakashi healed fast and was amazed that his chakra was slowly returning. The doctor told him that it might take awhile before all of it came back to him due to being suppressed for such a long period of time. He had tried to heal the damage inflicted in his sharingan eye, but didn't have the skill needed to complete the task. The doctor suggested that he go towards Konoha and request the services of the hokage or her skilled apprentice. Kakashi smiled and told him that he would follow his advice to seek their skills. Packing his meager belongings, he thanked the man who saved his life and resumed his treck home. He hoped that it wasn't too much longer before he reached his destination. The nightmares that he still was having told him that it wouldn't be long before Sakura was in serious trouble.

* * *

The main house had been cleaned up and brought back to its original glory quickly. Sakura was impressed by the work that Isas' family had done. She had become close with the older gentleman quickly sensing that he had her best interests at heart. He was like the grandfather that she never had. Sakura had invited Isas and Hisoka to take up residence in the homes nearest to the main house so they could be the caretakers for her. The two men graciously accepted. Sakura met the rest of the family when they moved in. Megumi was Hisoka's wife. They had been only married for a couple of years, but had known each other since they were small children. Megumi was a wonderful cook and meticulous when it came to taking care of the house. Sakura knew under her care the main house would never fall back into the state that she had found it in. They were also joined by Asa, Hisoka's younger brother. He was still learning the family trade, but was a great help to his grandfather. The Hanazono family felt like an extension of her own. She knew that they would protect the Hatake clan's home and make sure that it would be the pride of Konoha.

A week and a half had passed since Sasuke had left on his mission. Sakura was done with her preparations and just needed to break the news to him that she and her son would not be joining him at his residence. She was nervous about telling him and wished she hadn't fallen prey to her emotions when he had suggested moving in with him. Knowing that Kakashi could be alive just solidified her ambivalence about moving in with him. If there was a shred of hope, she would need to follow it until she truly found out that he was dead. Sakura had made it a routine of sorts to check the shrine to see if Kakashi's name was still there. A few days after she learned about the amazing wall, she had noticed that his name had started to fade. She had panicked but to her relief his name grew bolder as the week progressed. A few days ago, she had been sitting in the shrine when Pakuun had suddenly appeared next to her. He had come to check the wall because he had started feeling Kakashi's chakra again, even though it was weak. Sensing the movement in the Hatake compound, the pug had come to investigate what was going on. He couldn't pinpoint exactly where Kakashi was because his chakra signal was so weak. Pakuun had confirmed what Isas had told her about the wall and promised Sakura that he and the pack would start looking for their leader right away. She hoped that they would find him soon especially knowing that his chakra was depleted. Kakashi was still in the bingo books and would be in danger if he encountered anyone hunting him in a weakened state.

* * *

Sakura had taken the week off from the hospital to get things in order and to move. She made her way over to the hokage's office to talk with her master about the final conclusion she had come to in regards of moving. Tsunade told her that she supported her decision and would send out a couple of ANBU teams to look for Kakashi. Knowing that Sasuke would most likely be upset by Sakura's decision, she would limit the info that was given to the ANBU, since Sasuke was one of its members. The hokage wanted to minimize the potential issue as much as possible. If what Sakura had told her was correct, Kakashi would be in no state to defend himself from an enraged Uchiha. As Sakura left to pick up her messages at her office, Tsunade hoped that Sakura's information was correct and that Kakashi would be back in Konoha, where he belonged.

After she picked up her messages, Sakura made her way out of the hospital to meet up with one of her students that had a question for her about training. She was happy that Ino was watching Obito because it was becoming a very hectic day. Suddenly, Sasuke appeared next to her, still garbed in his ANBU uniform.

"Oh, Sasuke! You startled me!" she gasped.

"We finished early and I couldn't wait to see you again," he smiled as he embraced her.

He sensed something different about her as he held her, but couldn't put his finger on it. They were interrupted by messenger with a scroll for him. Opening the scroll, he cursed under his breath, and then thanked the messenger for the information. He told the boy to tell the sender that he would be there shortly to take care of the situation.

Sakura watched the scene unfold and wondered what was going on. She figured it was another mission or something and didn't ask any questions.

"Sasuke, we really need to talk," she said quietly.

"Sakura, I'll take you out to dinner tonight with my team, and we can talk afterwards. Okay?" he said to her not wanting to hear what she had to say to him right now.

Sakura agreed and told him that she would see him later. He quickly kissed her cheek and sped off to take care of some unfinished business. If he didn't act quickly, all of his plans would be ruined. He had worked long and hard to get to this place in life and would not let anything stand in his way to achieve his goals, especially the one that included Sakura in his life.

* * *

Kakashi sped through the outer part of the Fire Country as fast as he could. He couldn't believe that he was still being tracked by a team. Luckily for him, they were not good at their jobs. He rested briefly in a cave that was used by Konoha shinobi when they needed to hide from the enemy. As he caught his breath, he felt a familiar presence coming towards him. Hiding, he watched to see who or what was following him. Soon he saw Pakuun slowly come into the cave. The dog crouched as he sensed someone hiding in the shadows. As Kakashi came into view, the pug relaxed his stance and greeted his long lost master asking him where he had been hiding all these years. Pakuun could sense that Kakashi chakra was severely depleted and knew that the pack would need to protect him if he was to make it to the village. Pakuun called the pack together so they could finally bring their master home.

* * *

Sakura sat quietly as Sasuke and his team mates teased each other about the last mission they were on. The more they drank, the more irritated Sasuke would become decreasing the chances of her being able to tell him what she needed to say. Sasuke was already irritated when he picked her up this evening. Even though he was on his best behavior around her, she knew that something wasn't right. She attributed it to the scroll that he had received when he got back earlier. Sakura's mind drifted off thinking about how she was going to present this to Sasuke so he wouldn't react poorly and her thoughts about Kakashi.

* * *

Kakashi was thankful that his ninken had caught up with him. The last leg of his journey was becoming more difficult due to some unseen enemy trying to prevent him from reaching his goal. From what he could tell, there were six of them tracking him. His pack took three of them out for him. Pakuun and three of the larger dogs had surrounded him to protect him from any surprise attacks since they could feel their master losing the limited strength he had. The trackers were becoming more desperate as he drew closer to the front gates of the village. Kakashi could feel his strength waning but fought to keep going since he was so close. The attackers made their final assault as Kakashi sprinted through the gates of Konoha, collapsing at the feet of the guard. His ninken had done well protecting him so he could finally come home, knocking the 3 attackers out of the way just before they reach him. As the two enemies that had barely made it away from the jaws of the bigger ninken ran away, they knew that there would be hell to pay once they reported back to their captain. The boss would not be pleased by their lack of success by not bringing the infamous Copy Nin back to the prison.

* * *

Sakura was becoming bored listening to the banter between the drunk men when one of her students suddenly appeared before her.

"Sakura-sensei, Sakura-sensei, you need to come quick to the hospital! Hokage-sama needs your help immediately! She told me to come get you as fast I could," the young girl said breathlessly.

"Okay, Inari, I'm coming," she told her student. Looking at Sasuke, she apologized for the intrusion and told him that she would catch up with him later tomorrow. As he watched the pink-hair medic race out the door, a black cloud washed over him knowing that his life was about to get much more complicated.

Sakura raced through the doors of the trauma department and found her mentor waiting for her with a very surprised look on her face.

"Sakura, you need to brace yourself for this. You are not going to believe who collapsed in front of the guard at the front gates."

Sakura's heart skipped a beat as she listened to her mentor. She didn't want to get her hopes up, but Pakuun had promised to bring Kakashi home to her. Taking a deep breath, she readied herself just in case it wasn't him, but silently praying that it was. She nodded to Tsunade and then opened the door with her shaking hands.

Inside, she saw a bearded man lying in the bed with a bandage around part of his head. Frustrated that she couldn't see his hair, she moved towards the bed to get a better look. The nurse that had been hanging the IV smiled, then excused herself as the hokage requested when the chief medic arrived. As the door closed, Sakura moved in closer. Even though he was battered and had a beard, she could tell who was in front of her. Tears began to stream down her face as she caressed his whiskered face.

"Kakashi," she whispered.

Slowly, his unbandaged eye opened and saw the woman that he loved so desperately standing over him. As she bent down to kiss him, he knew that he was finally home.


	10. Blind Rage

_Disclaimer – I do not own Naruto or any characters of said story._

**Blind Rage**

The sun blinded her as she walked out the front door of the hospital the next day. Sakura had spent most of the night and part of the morning caring for her lost love. Even though he was asleep, he held tight to her hand until she gently eased it free hours later so she could shave him and start taking care of his wounds. Kakashi never liked having a beard and was always meticulous when it came to shaving. From the looks of things, it had been awhile since he could shave. After she had trimmed off the beard, she started healing some of the wounds around his face. She looked closely at what his captors had done to his sharingan eye. From the damage she saw, it seemed like they had tried to remove the eye, but weren't successful. Right now, all she could do is ease the pain and pressure he was feeling until he was stronger. She would need to consult with the hokage to discuss how to proceed to heal the damage that had been done. Sakura also saw the surgical wounds on his neck and wondered what had happened there. The wound was clean so a medical professional must have done the procedure. It was a fresh wound so it was recently done. She would need to wait until Kakashi woke to ask him what happened.

Running her hand through her tousled hair, she breathed a sigh of relief that he was finally back where he belonged. This morning, Tsunade found her draped over him exhausted due to all that she had healed. The hokage told her to go home to get some rest and that she would wake her if something urgent happened. Before she left, Tsunade placed Kakashi under a sleep jutsu so he could heal. Sakura was shocked when she left the room and found 2 ANBU guards outside the door. They were Tsunade's personal guards. The hokage wasn't taking any chances with him, which was a relief to Sakura. Sakura had sent word to Ino on what had happened and asked her to protect Obito while things were sorted out. Shikamaru had been sent over to their home to guard the boy by the hokage, just in case someone was still searching for Kakashi, or if things got out of control with Sasuke. The hokage wasn't going to take any chances with her adopted grandson.

Sakura knew that sometime today she needed to find Sasuke and tell him that she would not be moving in with him. A wave of relief washed over her because she almost made one of the biggest mistakes in her life by not trusting in herself and being swayed when she was at her weakest. She hoped that Sasuke would understand when she told him, but started preparing herself for the worst if he didn't. Hopefully his night out with his team mates put him in a better mood.

As she started walking home, her thoughts then went to how she was going to tell Kakashi about their son. While she was pondering this, Sasuke suddenly appeared in front of her, in the middle of the street. From the expression on his face, she knew that he was not in a good mood.

"Hello, Sakura," he tensely said, "Just leaving the hospital?"

"Morning Sasuke," she said as pleasantly as she could, "I had a long night trying to heal a patient. Could we talk later, please?"

Sasuke just stared at her, taking deep breaths. Sakura knew he was trying to calm himself before talking again.

"I'm afraid that won't do, Sakura," he growled, "Aren't you going to tell me who your patient was?"

"That's classified," she retorted, "You know that."

Sakura could feel the waves of anger coming from him. Unconsciously she took a step back. Before either one could say anything, there were 2 special ops ANBU and Shizune surrounding her.

"Is there a problem here Sakura," Shizune said as she stared the Uchiha down.

"No, no problem at all," Sakura quietly said, "We were just talking. I will talk to you later then, right Sasuke?"

"Sure Sakura, whatever you say," Sasuke said in a controlled voice, glaring at her, "Until later then. Shizune."

With that Sasuke quickly made his hand signs and disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Sakura released the breath that she didn't even know she was holding. Shizune asked if she was okay. Sakura told her that she was but she was in shock at Sasuke's behavior. She hoped that he would calm down so they could talk civilly but deep down she knew that this would be a battle with him. Shizune and the guards walked her back to the hokage's house so she could get some rest while they grabbed her belongings from her apartment. Tsunade had ordered all the rest of Sakura's belongings be taken to the Hatake compound where Isas and his family could watch over them. The hokage decided that Sakura would stay with her until all of this could get sorted out.

* * *

Kakashi slowly came out of his stupor and was confused by his surroundings. It was bright, and as he focused he noticed the walls were a pale blue. Gathering his thoughts, he realized that he wasn't in the prison any more and looked like he was in a hospital. Slowly, he remembered the events of his final dash for freedom. He sighed and closed his eye when he realized that he had made it home and that he was safe. There was a familiar presence that was quickly at his side after he had sighed. As he opened his eye, he saw Sakura's concerned face looking down on him. Quickly sitting up, he grabbed and pulled her into his embrace. He hoped it wasn't another of his dreams and that Sakura was finally with him again.

"Kakashi," she said with concern, "Kakashi, are you okay?"

"If you are real, I'm fantastic," he murmured. "Please say that you are real."

"Yes I am real, and if you could just release me a little, please. You're starting to hurt me," she chuckled.

Kakashi pulled her close to him and kissed her deeply. His dreams weren't this vivid so he started to believe that he was finally home. After he was done kissing her, his fingers traced her face, rememorizing everything he loved to look at. Soon he heard someone clear their throat as the door opened.

"Hatake, I hope I wasn't interrupting anything," Tsunade said amused by what she saw.

Kakashi released Sakura but held on to her hand as she sat down next to him. He wore his signature smirk on his face. The hokage knew that he was feeling better if he was smirking like that. Pulling up a chair, she sat down to talk to him about what he remembered. Kakashi told them about how he ended up in the camp of the enemy and how they had taken him prisoner. Sakura cringed when he told them about the device that they implanted in his neck and how they had to put in the second implant because it wasn't suppressing his chakra enough. He told them about the enemy tried to remove his eye with the sharingan and how they failed. The rest of his time was spent working in an underground mine. His story then turned to his escape, and how the doctor outside the forest had saved him by removing the implants, treating his infection, and saving his life. He told both women how Pakuun had met up with him with his ninken pack, but didn't remember too much after that.

Tsunade listened to his story and was amazed by what she heard. She had heard stories about ninja as well as civilians just disappearing into the forest he described in the Rain Country. Kakashi was very lucky he escaped with his life. Satisfied with his story, she told him that he would be in the hospital for awhile due to his injuries. She broached the subject of the damage to his eye and that she would re-evaluate him in a couple of days to see if he would be strong enough to start treatment. She stood up and told him that she was glad he was back. Tsunade nodded to Sakura and made her way out the door. The hokage would leave it up to Sakura to tell him about the events of the past three years and the son he had.

* * *

Sakura quickly assessed Kakashi's condition trying to figure out if this would be a good time to tell him about Obito. She didn't want to shock him but needed to tell him soon because Obito couldn't keep staying at Ino and Choji's home indefinitely and she missed her son. She wanted their son nearby so she wouldn't worry about his safety and she also needed to tell Obito that his biological father was finally home. Sakura racked her brain on how to bring the subject up and what to say to buffer the shock to Kakashi.

Kakashi watched Sakura after the hokage had left the room. It looked like there was something on her mind and she was trying to find the words to tell him. Sakura wasn't very good of hiding her feelings in front of him. He could always tell when something was bothering her. Smiling to himself, he was glad that things hadn't changed with being in tune with her.

"Sakura," Kakashi rasped, "what's on you mind."

Sakura had a look of surprise on her face, but he could read her better than anyone else she knew. She quickly picked her words and took a deep breath.

"You always can tell when I had something to say," she nervously chuckled, "Ummm…promise me to hear me out before you say anything, okay?"

Kakashi's thoughts raced as he nodded. A knot formed in his gut dreading what she had to say. Bracing himself, he steeled his nerves to listen to what she had to tell him. Sakura wringed her hands, nervous about his reaction and hoping he was strong enough to hear this. Kakashi grabbed her hands to calm her, then smiled up into her face.

"Sakura, no matter what it is, we'll get through it. I promise."

His smile reassured her. She hoped that he would be happy with the news.

"Okay, here I go. The day you disappeared, it was the worst day of my life. I didn't do too well and ended up in the hospital." Sakura took a breath. "While I was in the hospital, Tsunade did some tests because they had some problems waking me up. When I finally woke, she told me that one of the tests came back positive."

Kakashi pulled her closer, afraid of what she was going to tell him next. His mind raced over the possibilities. He finally came back home only to have the woman he loved having to battle some disease and possibly losing her.

She looked directly in his eyes so she could she could gauge his response. "Kakashi, we have a son."

Kakashi's eye widened. "A son? I have a son?"

"Yes, we have a son," she smiled. "I hope you don't mind, I named him Obito after you're childhood friend."

"A son," he said shocked on what he heard. Of all the things he was prepared to hear, that wasn't even on the list of what he had even considered. He didn't know how to react to this.

"Kakashi," Sakura said concerned about him, "Kakashi are you okay?" She started to worry due to his response. They never spoke about children before. Maybe he didn't want a child. Her mind went into overdrive trying to figure out what she would do if he didn't want their son.

Looking into her eyes, he could see that she was misinterpreting his reaction. He never imagined he would ever have children, but he wasn't opposed to the idea. Gently, he put his hands on both sides of her face and pulled her close to him so he could kiss her.

Sakura molded herself into his kiss. She had dreamed so many times of his kisses through the past three years. It was like a dream come true. As his kiss deepened, she knew that her hopes of being a family would come true. Obito couldn't help but love his father, and all of them could live together finally, in Kakashi's family home. Breaking the kiss, he embraced her.

"Of course I'm okay, just never thought that I would be a father," he assured her. "I'm sure Obito would be honored that my son was named after him. Please tell me all about our son."

Sakura sighed with relief and began telling Kakashi about Obito. Kakashi was amazed about how much his son knew and the skills he had. She told him that Obito knew about him, but she hadn't told him about Kakashi being back yet. Sakura wanted to tell Kakashi before she broached the subject with their son. Kakashi wanted to meet their son as soon as he could, but he understood that Sakura would need to prepare the boy before they met.

Sakura let it slip that Obito was at Ino's house with an ANBU guard watching over him. Kakashi questioned her about the guard not understanding why the boy needed protection. Sakura reluctantly told him about how close Sasuke had become in their lives and the events of the past couple months. As she told Kakashi the story, she hoped that he would understand the situation she was in and how distraught she had been that she let the last Uchiha in their lives. She told him how she knew that she had made a big mistake by agreeing to move in with Sasuke and how she had planned to move into the Hatake compound instead. By the end of her story, Sakura was sobbing how sorry she was for her misguided decision.

Kakashi took in all she was telling him and how Sakura was convinced of his demise. Even though he wasn't too happy about her decisions, he knew that she was distraught by him being missing and possibly being dead. Knowing that he couldn't blame her under the circumstances, he pushed down his anger and comforted her. He knew how persuasive Sasuke was and how determined his old student could be when he wanted something. Wiping away her tears, Kakashi told her that he understood why she did it and was glad that she had changed her mind before she actually followed through with it. He kissed her tears away and told her how much he loved her. Looking into each other's eyes, they promised each other to move on from this point and bury the past three years. Nothing would stand in their way of being together after all this time. The couple remained in each other's arms enjoying just being together again.

* * *

Outside the window, a dark figure watched the couple in their embrace, trying to control his anger as he watched. All his plans had been destroyed by the silver-haired ninja finding his way back home. Unable to contain the anger within him, he quickly disappeared into the forest looking for the men that had failed him. Someone would pay for this mistake, pay with their life. He only had a short time before he would found missing, so he swiftly moved through the forest finding his prey. The men never knew what hit them as his chidori vaporized them. Feeling temporarily satisfied, he began to formulate a new plan on winning the prize he so desperately sought as he ran back to his home.


	11. Shattered Bliss

_Disclaimer – I do not own Naruto or any characters of said story._

**Shattered Bliss**

Sakura thanked Ino for all she had done for her in the past week when she went to pick up Obito. Obito was overjoyed to see his mother even though he had fun playing with his friends. He had missed being with her. Sakura was happy he was in a good mood because she needed to tell him about Kakashi and she didn't know how he would react. After they said their goodbyes, she told her son that she had a surprise for him.

Sakura and Obito walked until they came to the Hatake compound. She told Obito that this was his birth father's family home. As she opened the door, Obito eyes took in all of the gardens and the main house that stood before him. Isas and his family greeted them and quickly updated Sakura on the repairs that were completed while she was gone. Sakura had sent word to Isas about Kakashi's return and also told him that she was bringing their son by in order to break the news of his father being home. The family welcomed Obito to his ancestral home and told him to let them know if they could do anything for him. Obito politely thanked them overwhelmed by what he saw. Sakura thanked them all and excused herself and Obito.

Walking to the garden with the small waterfall, she told Obito that she had something important to tell him. Sitting down on the bench, the young boy looked up at his mother expectantly.

"Obito, I brought you here to tell you something important, so I want you to listen closely. Okay?"

Obito nodded his head and smiled at his mother.

"You remember the story I told you about your father, Kakashi, how he went away on an important mission. Well, Obito, your dad came home a couple of days ago. Unfortunately he was hurt pretty bad and is in the hospital. I told him about you and he really wants to meet you," she told her son, anxious on how he would react.

Obito looked up at his mom wondering how this would change his life now. He had heard stories about his father from all the people that loved him and he wondered if his father would like him. As his thoughts raced through his head, he also wondered what type of person his father would be. Would he be like Sasuke, someone that was kind and taught him things or would he be grouchy. Obito's thoughts then went to Sasuke and what would happen to that relationship. He started to panic that he couldn't be with Sasuke again and to the young boy, that was not acceptable.

"Mommy, what about Sasuke? Will I be able to be with him too?" he asked his mother.

Sakura cringed when her son asked about Sasuke. She knew that she would have to deal with this soon, but didn't expect his first reaction to be about Sasuke. She thought that Obito would have questions about Kakashi. Taking a deep breath, she gathered her thoughts before she answered him. She didn't want to go into details about how Sasuke had changed after Kakashi had returned.

"Obito, I know that Sasuke has been a good friend, but we will need to see how everything goes. There may be a chance that Sasuke will not want to be our friend because your father came back, " she said gently.

"But Mommy he promised!" Obito said with tears in his eyes.

Sakura put her arms around her son and pulled him into her lap. "Sometimes things change Obito in ways that we don't want them to. We will have to see how everyone feels after things settle down. Right now, we need to focus on you getting to know your father and helping him get healthy, okay? Promise me you will try, sweetie," she asked him.

"Okay, I will try," he said with a pout. He hoped that his father would be a nice dad, someone like Sasuke.

"Thank you Obito. I know you will love him just as much as I do," she smiled and then kissed his forehead. "Do you want to go meet him now?"

Obito nodded his head and asked if they could come back here so he could look at the other gardens here. Sakura promised that they would and told him that they would be moving in soon. Obito just looked at her stunned, then asked if he would be able to get the puppy that was promised to him. Sakura told him that she would discuss it with Kakashi and told him how his father had his own pack of ninken. The boy was eager to see the dogs that were in his father's pack. As she listened to her son talk about the benefits of having a ninken, she hoped that this would be a way for Kakashi to bond with him and get to know his son better. She also hoped that with time, Sasuke's hold on her son would fade. Thinking over the recent events, she didn't want the volatile man in her son's life any more, she feared for his safety. Saddened by Sasuke's recent personality changes, she hoped that deep down he let go and would move on from her and her family.

* * *

Kakashi had taken some time to spruce up in the event that his son came to visit today. Sakura had told him that she would tell Obito about his return and come to visit. The nurse had rewrapped his injured eye so it wouldn't scare his son. As he sat there waiting for his guests, he mused about what his son looked like and how he would react to meeting him for the first time. Sakura had said that the boy was the image of him. His mind raced on what he should say and how he should greet him. Kakashi was a shy child and he wondered if his son would be the same. His hope was to bond with the boy so they could become a family. Knowing that Sasuke had spent time with the boy, he knew that there would be an adjustment period. He hoped that the boy would accept him and eventually they could wean him off of his dependence of Sasuke and accept him as his father.

Thinking over what Sakura had told him about how Sasuke had mentored his son, he was surprised that the Uchiha heir was so complementary to him. Tsunade had told him also about the positive things that Sasuke had told Obito about him. Kakashi contemplated what everyone had told him and figured that Sasuke didn't have any competition since he was supposedly dead, so it was a way to get close to both Sakura and Obito. He shuddered to think of what would have happened if he hadn't returned when he did. His goal was to get healthy as soon as he could so he could protect Sakura and Obito just in case Sasuke lost it. While he was contemplating things, he heard a knock at the door.

Sakura peered in and asked him if he was ready to meet Obito. Smiling, he told her he was and invited them in. Kakashi was amazed that his son was so alike him. He was the spitting image of himself at that age. As his son walked in with Sakura, the boy stood behind her shyly taking in Kakashi's presence. Sakura sat down on the chair next to the bed and pulled Obito into her lap. She then introduced Kakashi to their son.

"Hi Obito," Kakashi said softly, "I am very glad to finally meet you. Your mom has told me a lot about you."

Obito stared at the man before him and noticed that they had the same color hair and eyes. "What happened to your eye?" he finally said.

Kakashi explained that he had been injured while he was on his mission, but it should be healed soon. The boy looked at him more intently taking in everything about him.

"Sasuke told me that you are called the Copy Ninja. Why do they call you that?" Obito asked.

Kakashi answered the boy's questions as he asked them, amazed on how intelligent his son was. He definitely wasn't a shy boy once he started talking. Obito took after Sakura in that way. As they talked, Kakashi noticed that his son started to move closer and closer to him. It was a good start for the two of them. The only thing that bothered him was the mention of Sasuke so many times, but that would change once he spent more time with him.

Obito took a breath and studied the man before him. His father seemed nice, at least he wasn't grouchy. He debated if he should ask Kakashi about a dog, but he was promised that he could have one when he moved. Obito figured that it still applied since he was moving into a house. He figured that this was a good time to ask since Kakashi was in a good mood.

"Umm…Can I ask you something?" he said coyly.

"Sure Obito, you can ask me anything you would like," Kakashi said as he smiled at the boy.

"Sasuke said that I could have a nindog when I moved. Since I'm moving to your house, can I still have a dog?" he said with pleading eyes.

"Obito!" Sakura chided him.

"No that's okay Sakura. I told him that he could ask anything," Kakashi chuckled. "As long as it's okay with your mom, I think it would be great if you had a puppy."

Kakashi then told the boy about his dogs and the Hatake family's relationship with the ninken. Obito was enthralled as Kakashi told him about his pack and how they all worked together. As their visit came to an end, Obito said goodbye and told him that he would like to visit him again to talk, especially about his ninken. Sakura told Kakashi that she would be back later and kissed him on the cheek.

Kakashi was pleased with how their first encounter went. He hoped as time went by that the boy would forget about Sasuke so they could become closer. Kakashi thought over the situation and how Sasuke had slowly worked his way into Sakura's and Obito's lives. He hoped that the last Uchiha would bow out gracefully and leave them alone, but deep down he knew that Sasuke wouldn't without a fight. There was no choice but to get better quick so he could protect his family.

* * *

As the week progressed, the new family settled into a routine. Sakura would drop Obito off at the day care at the hospital, then came see Kakashi before she started her day. Both Obito and Sakura would have lunch with Kakashi, and they would come to see him after her day was done. Obito always had questions for him and looked happy that he was with his father. At least as happy as a three year old could be.

Tsunade had started the therapy on his damaged eye and it was functioning much better. She was surprised how strong the transplant took and the chakra that protected it. Kakashi figured that is what hindered his captors from removing it. Though it took a bit of effort, Tsunade healed most of the damage done. Kakashi would have to rest it for a bit before he started training with it again. The hokage told him that he would have to start with the basics and work his way back to where he was. She placed him on disability until he felt confident to resume fulfilling his duty as a jounin. As eager as Kakashi was to get back to normal, Tsunade impressed upon him to take it slow so he wouldn't permanently damage the eye. She put Sakura in charge of his after care knowing that she could manage the difficult man.

Sakura and Obito settled in at the Hatake compound. Obito loved his room and the gardens outside. Isas' granddaughter, Kieko, joined the group helping out with the house, along with her son, Hiro. Hiro was about 6 months older than Obito. The boys became fast friends as they explored the gardens near the main house. There had been several times that they had surprised Sakura in her study showing her the frogs they had caught in the pond. Both Megumi and Kieko had scolded the boys for tracking mud and water all over the house, especially after they had just waxed all the floors. After the boys had been dismissed, all the women laughed on the boys antics. Sakura was glad that Obito had a good friend that he could do things with. Having a friend here nearby made the transition much easier for Obito.

Sasuke had come to her office a few days ago to apologize for his rude behavior. He told her that he was taken aback by the news when he heard that Kakashi was back in the village and was upset that she would go back to Kakashi, thus losing her. His demeanor was back to what it was when they first started to be friends again, but Sakura was wary of him. He hoped that they could still be friends even though she was back with Kakashi. Sasuke didn't want to lose contact with Obito since he had been with the boy for his whole life. Sakura didn't promise anything and told Sasuke that they would have to see how it went. He told her that he was there for the both of them no matter what and would leave it up to her to decide how the friendship should proceed. After he left, Sakura was relieved that he wasn't being unreasonable, but she didn't trust him. She knew that his moods could change in an instant, and didn't want Obito around him when it did.

* * *

Kakashi had been in the hospital for two and half weeks and was more than ready to go home when the hokage told him that he was being discharged. Sakura would make sure that he wasn't overdoing it since she was in charge of his care. Kakashi was driving the staff crazy by his frustration of being confined there. It had been the longest he had ever stayed in the hospital and knowing that his loved ones could be in danger if Sasuke lost it, made him more unbearable than he usually was. As soon as the hokage said it was safe to go, the silver haired man was out the door in a flash leaving the hokage and her protégé staring at each other in amazement. Sakura found him outside waiting for her, stating that he didn't want to take any chances of Tsunade changing her mind. Chuckling, the couple made their way home.

* * *

Obito's mentioning of Sasuke hadn't decreased since his time apart from the Uchiha heir. If anything, the boy talked about him insistently. Kakashi did all he could to spend time with the boy, but it was wearing on his nerves hearing about Sasuke all the time, not that he ever showed it the boy. The couple figured that Obito needed time to adjust to the new changes and this part of the process. Even though he hated to admit it, Sasuke had done well by the boy in his absence. Kakashi was surprised on how much Obito knew about him as they spent more time together. Obito informed him that Sasuke had told him stories about Kakashi so he would know his father even though he was away. The skills Obito had learned were flawless, even though the boy had a way to go to perfecting them. As much as he disliked the Uchiha heir, he owed Sasuke a debt of gratitude in keeping Sakura and Obito safe while he was gone, and being a good teacher to his son.

Unknown to Sakura and Kakashi, Sasuke was still seeing the boy at day care. The staff had become used to his presence with the boy and didn't think anything of Sasuke coming to spend time with Obito. Sasuke swore Obito to secrecy telling the youngster that he would never see him again if he told his parents. Obito loved Sasuke and didn't want to lose the closeness he had with the man that had been in his life as long as he could remember. Even though Sasuke didn't say anything negative about the couple, Obito couldn't help but feel torn from his new life and his feelings for Sasuke. He didn't know Kakashi well enough yet and wasn't totally comfortable with the man that was his father. Sasuke knew that their relationship wouldn't grow if he was still in the boy's life, even if it was in a small way. The key to his next plan revolved around Obito. He hoped that the strain would sabotage the relationship that Kakashi and Sakura had. Kakashi wasn't a patient man especially if his son talked about him all the time. Sasuke would bide his time again until he could make his next move.

* * *

Soon Kakashi was feeling better and started spending more time with his son. Sakura was technically on assignment taking care of him and was relieved from her duties at the hospital temporarily. Only once in awhile she would be summoned, if there was an emergency or Tsunade needed help in surgery. The hokage wanted the family to have some time to get reacquainted with each other. After all the pain that they all endured, Tsunade knew that they needed time to just be together without the strain of everyday life.

One morning, Sakura was called away for a meeting at the hospital and Kakashi was put in charge of watching his son. Knowing that the boy was interested in his ninken, he was going to summon the whole pack so the boy could get to know them. Kakashi had spoken to Pakuun about a puppy for his son so he could start training with him a few days back. One of Pakuun's daughters just had a litter and he knew the perfect puppy for Obito to start training with. He was the alpha in the litter and was a quick learner. Pakuun would talk to his grandson and make sure that he was ready when they were summoned.

Calling his son to come outside, Kakashi told the boy that he had a surprise for him. Obito bounded out of the house and sped toward him. He told the boy to have a seat and began telling him about summoning and the agreement he had with his ninken. Showing him what he needed to do and the hand signs, Kakashi summoned his pack before them. The dogs were all eager to meet Obito ever since Kakashi told them he had a son. Obito's eyes became wide when a couple of the ninken started talking and greeted him. The small boy was polite, but he looked like he was going to jump out of his skin from excitement.

"Father, can I pet them?" Obito asked excitedly.

Nodding to his son, Kakashi watched as Obito introduced himself and asked if he could pet each ninken. Pakuun made his way next to Kakashi and both watch the boy greet each dog. The look of bliss on the boy's face was priceless. The pack was happy to meet the boy too. After awhile, Kakashi called the dogs to attention and asked Obito to come by his side because it was time for training. Pakuun nodded to Kakashi and started the morning training. Kakashi explained what the dogs were doing and why they were training that way. Obito watched quiet awe as the ninken ran their drills. After the dogs were all done, Kakashi dismissed all of them except Pakuun.

Kakashi pulled Obito to his side. "Obito, I have another surprise for you."

Obito looked up at his father surprised that there was more.

"Remember how you asked me if you could have a puppy?" Kakashi smiled down at his son, "Today you are going to meet the ninken you will be working with first, but you need to understand that this is a big responsibility, okay son? This isn't just time to have fun."

Obito nodded in shock. He didn't expect that he would be getting a puppy so soon.

"You have to promise to me that you will train everyday and do everything that you can to work with your ninken so you can be a team."

"I promise, father. I promise I will do my best!" Obito said with a big grin.

"Good boy," Kakashi said as he ruffled his son's unruly hair, "I know you will make me proud."

Nodding to Pakuun, the pug barked a couple of times and in a puff of smoke, a smaller and darker version of himself appeared besides him. The puppy and the boy stared at each other. A big smile spread across Obito's face as he greeted the ninken.

"Hi, my name is Obito. I'm really happy to meet you. What is your name?"

The puppy wagged his tail and barked. Obito looked up at his father wondering why the puppy didn't talk like the rest of the dogs.

"Obito, he is just like you, still learning. Both of you will learn and grow together. I have no doubt that he will talk soon enough and you will learn to understand him too," Kakashi explained. "He said his name in Kuma and he is excited to meet you too."

Kuma barked and greeted Obito, wagging his stubby tail furiously. Kakashi explained to both of them that they needed to learn to work together as a team first before they could start learning jutsu. When they got old enough, they would sign the sacred scroll binding them as team mates. Both satisfied, they assured their elders that they would try hard. Pakuun suggested that they get to know each other better and for Obito to show him around the place since he would be staying with him for awhile. The two youngsters ran off happily, with Obito chatting away about everything they encountered in the garden.

Kakashi thanked Pakuun for his help. Pakuun told Kakashi that he would check in daily on his grandson to make sure all was well and then complimented his team leader on how impressed he was with Obito. The pug knew that Kuma and Obito would become good friends as well as team mates as they grew together. Saying his goodbye, the little dog disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

Even though they were both young, he knew that Obito learned fast. It would be something they both could share and hopefully grow closer as father and son. Kakashi smiled as he watched his son race around the house showing everything to his new friend and talking excitedly. It was a good beginning to their new life together.

* * *

Sasuke had become more and more irritated that he didn't have access to Obito since he was staying at home now. He had sent one of his snakes to spy on the boy on the Hatake compound to no avail. The snake had been intercepted by one of Kakashi's stupid dogs. The only thing that had gone right with his alternate plan is that he had everything in place to execute it now. All he had to do is wait for the right moment. He could tell that the boy was getting closer to Kakashi and his influence on the boy wouldn't matter too much soon. His plan was a little more direct than he wanted but all that mattered is that Sakura was his.

Sasuke stalked the outside of the Hatake compound waiting for his chance. He knew he had to be patient or it would fail. Knowing that this would be his last chance to secure what he wanted, he bided his time until the moment was right.

* * *

Sakura watched as Kakashi, Obito, and Kuma wrestled in the yard. It was two against one, and Obito and Kuma were having the time of their lives. Kakashi was a good sport and let them attack him over and over again. Sakura giggled as she watched Kakashi's acting. She had realized how good of a father Kakashi truly was and was touched on how caring he was to their son. She hoped that things would settle for them and possibly they could grow their little family. Tears spilled down her cheeks with her happiness.

Kakashi looked up to see Sakura crying, and was immediately concerned. Leaving his son and his ninken to frolic in the yard, he made his way to the side of the woman that he loved and asked her what was wrong. She explained that she was so happy, and that they were tears of joy. Kakashi pulled her into his arms and kissed her sweetly. Both of them had never felt as content as they did right now. Kakashi was almost totally healed and their son was happy. Sasuke's name came up less and less, so they were on the right path with their son. Soon all would be well, and they could start enjoying life again.

As the afternoon wore on, Kuma fell asleep in Obito's lap. The young boy picked up his little friend and gently placed him on the miniature bed they had bought for the small pug in his room. Sakura was going out to the market to pick a few things up, so she asked Obito if he would like to join her. Looking nervously at the little dog, Kakashi promised to look after Kuma while he was gone. The boy ran and took Sakura's hand as she kissed Kakashi goodbye. Kakashi mussed the boy's hair and told him to watch over his mother while they were gone. Smiling, Obito promised that he would, as mother and child left the compound. Kakashi made his way to the open field to train a little before they came back.

* * *

Sakura and Obito were enjoying the sunny day as they made their way down the long street that connected the Hatake compound to the village. Obito was telling her all the things that Kuma and he did the day before. Suddenly, Sasuke appeared before them.

"Well, well, well, who do we have here? My two favorite people. I've missed being with you both," he said with a smirk on his face. Before Sakura could move, Sasuke used his sharringan on them both. The last thing she remembered before her world turned black is his red eyes and her son clutching her hand tightly as he collapsed besides her.


	12. Judgement

_Disclaimer – I do not own Naruto or any characters of said story._

**Judgment**

Sakura woke to the sound of Obito berating Sasuke about taking them out of the village. She could tell that the dark haired man was losing patience with the boy quickly. When Sasuke saw her wake, he implored her to talk to her son about the precarious position they were in. Sasuke and his cohorts gave them a chance to talk and left the room.

Obito was happy that she finally was awake. He was concerned when she wouldn't rouse and tried to reason with Sasuke to let them go home. The boy couldn't figure out why Sasuke was being so mean. He was supposed to be his friend. Sakura told her son that he needed to be good and not confront Sasuke with what he was doing to them because it could anger the man and make things much worse than it already was. She explained that the adults were having a misunderstanding right now and that Obito needed to leave it up to her to solve it right now. Watching her son's confused expression, Sakura knew if she told the boy what really was going on his reaction to the situation would make it much worse for them. She needed to protect him and try to reason with Sasuke to let them go. It would be an uphill battle, but she hoped that she could at least get her son to safety.

Trying to clear the confusion in her head, she took in their surroundings. It looked like they were in an old country house outside fire country. She could tell by the way the room was constructed and the materials used. The room that they were in was an interior room without any windows and not much in the way of furniture in the room. She was on a mattress and there were a couple of blankets and pillows in the coroner. Nothing that could be used as a weapon was left in the room. She would have to bide their time and try to figure a way out of this mess.

* * *

Sasuke came back into the room and told Obito to follow the dark haired woman with glasses so he could eat. He told Sakura that they needed to talk. Looking back at his mother nervously, he saw Sakura nod to him that it was okay. The distressed boy followed the woman into the other room.

"So Sakura, we need to talk about Obito," Sasuke told her, "He is a handful right now and is making things much more difficult than I expected. I don't want to hurt him, but if this continues, I'll need to do something."

Sakura looked at the man before her shocked at what he had just told her and scared of what he was going to do to her son.

"Here is my proposal," he continued, "If you cooperate with me and don't put up a fight, including not trying to escape, I will make sure that Obito gets back to the village safe. I really don't want to hurt the boy Sakura, but he obviously wants to be with his father. Kind of disappointing. I would have been a good father to him. Too bad Kakashi found his way back."

Sakura was bemused by what Sasuke had revealed to her but promptly thought over what Sasuke just offered to her. Without Obito, she would be able to escape better and he would be out of harms way for whatever Sasuke's sick mind had planned for her. If anything happened to her son, she would be lost.

"Ok Sasuke, you promise that he will be safely taken to Konoha, unharmed. Right?" she asked.

"I will make sure he will be safe and reach Konoha unharmed, only if you cooperate and won't fight me, Sakura. We still have a ways to travel and I don't need any more inconveniences or set backs," he curtly told her.

Sakura agreed to his terms. Sasuke thanked her for her cooperation and told her that she needed to tell Obito to behave while one of his accomplices took him back home. After Sasuke left the room, the woman with the black hair and glasses brought Obito back to her. Sakura sat him down and told him that the woman was going to take him back to Kakashi and that he needed to behave for her. Obito started to protest, but Sakura told him that it was important that he follow what she said no matter what. She made him promise to behave no matter what happened. Through his tear soaked eyes he promised his mother that he would behave. Sakura kissed her son and wiped away his tears. Holding him close, she calmed the distraught boy telling him that it would be okay and that he needed to be strong.

* * *

Kakashi had almost finished his training when he heard Kuma barking wildly. As usual, Kakashi didn't realize what time it was because he had been training. Walking up to the house, he was wondering when Sakura and Obito would be home since they had been gone for awhile. Chuckling, he wondered if Obito was slowing her down with all the things he saw and wanted at the market. Kakashi comforted the puppy and told him that Obito would be back soon and sat down to wait with Kuma for his family to arrive home.

As another hour passed by, Kakashi was concerned about where Sakura and Obito were. He quickly went into the house to grab his pack and made his way out to the porch when he saw the gate slowly opening. A rush of relief went through him, only to be squelched when he saw Naruto and Hinata come through the gate. His former student waved to him as they made their way to the main house.

"Hey Kakashi-sensei," the blond beamed,"How are you feeling? We came to see how you all were doing."

"You didn't see Sakura or Obito on your way in did you?" Kakashi asked.

"No, but we did find one of Sakura's combs on the side of the road on the way to your house," Hinata told him, now concerned as she handed him the comb.

Kakashi accepted the hair comb and looked it over. It was definitely one of the combs that he given her from his mother's jewelry. Sakura would never go out with just one comb on. He immediately summoned his ninken to start searching for Sakura and Obito, and to notify him right away if they found anything. After the ninken left, Naruto and Hinata asked what they could do to help. Kakashi asked Hinata to notify the hokage about what had happened. All they could do now is wait and hope that his pack found them soon.

* * *

Karin was more than upset that she was told that she had to take the boy back near the village. If she was caught, she would make sure that Sasuke would pay, if she ever made it out alive. She questioned her blind love of the Uchiha heir. Obviously he would never recognize her until that pink haired wench was gone. She didn't understand his obsession with the pink haired woman when she was more than willing to do anything he asked. Karin swore under her breath as she dragged the child along. The farther they went, the angrier she became. It became very clear that it didn't matter what she did. Sasuke wouldn't give her the time of day as long as he had Sakura there with him. Abruptly she stopped and turned to face the child. They were close enough to Konoha that someone would find the boy and take him back home. She didn't want to be any where near the village because she didn't want to get caught. Someone would have noticed by now that the pair was missing and in her current mood, she didn't want any part of anyone's wrath if she was unlucky and was caught.

"End of the line, kiddo," she spat, "Just keep walking and you will be home soon."

Obito looked up at the raven hair woman shocked by what she was telling him. A surge of panic washed over him as he peered through the forest. The sun was starting to set and soon it would be dark. He knew there were animals in the forest, but wasn't sure if there were any that would hurt him, and he really didn't want to find out first hand. Obito looked up at Karin with pleading eyes.

"What is it brat?" she hissed.

"Ummm…could you take me a little farther please? I'm not supposed to be alone in the woods when it's dark," he begged.

"Well, I guess you better get going then, 'cause I'm not going one step further," she yelled at the boy as she took off. "Later brat! Good luck!"

All he heard was her laugh as she disappeared. Obito was alone now. He didn't want to cry but tears started streaming down his face. Sasuke had promised that he would be his friend no matter what and said that he would protect him. Now he was stuck in the woods with wild animals all by himself with no one here to make sure he was safe. He started running knowing if he didn't make it to the village before night fall, that his life would be in danger. All he could think of was his father, his real father.

"Daddy, please help me!" he cried as he ran through the darkening forest.

* * *

Kakashi was pacing anxiously as he watched the sun start to set in the west. He couldn't shake the feeling of dread that was overpowering him right now. Kuma's whimpering was making it worse. The puppy had been quiet up until a couple of minutes ago and just out of the blue he started to whine. Even though the two of them had been together for a short time, Obito and Kuma had bonded. Kakashi wondered if the little pug could sense the danger Obito was in or where the boy was at. It would be a lot for him to ask the puppy to track Obito and didn't want to overwhelm Kuma. While Kakashi debated on what to do, Pakuun suddenly appeared before him.

"Yo," he greeted the stressed Copy Nin, "Bull has found the scent of your pup and some female we never smelled around here before."

Kakashi jumped up and asked Pakuun to talk to Kuma to see what the puppy was sensing. The two dogs barked their conversation for a few minutes. Kuma could sense Obito nearby, but he was alone now, the female had left him. A dark scowl formed on Kakashi's face as he listened to the conversation the dogs were having, knowing his son would be terrified to be alone in the soon to be dark forest. Calling Naruto to come with, the two men followed the two dogs into the forest.

* * *

Obito picked up the pace trying not to panic as the light in the sky faded. He could hear the wilderness coming to life as the sun fell from the sky. Trying to focus on staying in a straight line so he didn't get lost, he couldn't help to hear something moving in the trees near him. It seemed to be tracking him like his dad's ninken did when they were doing their training. Knowing that he had to do something quick to protect himself before it got dark, his mind raced on what he should do to protect himself. He had seen all of the ninja run up the sides of trees and buildings. That would confuse the animal, he thought, and it might just keep running. He remembered what his Uncle Naruto and his father had shown him as they showed the boy the technique. Concentrating his chakra to his feet, the boy ran full speed towards the large tree in front of him hoping the animal that was tracking him didn't climb trees. With a surge of adrenaline, Obito ran up the side of the tree and grabbed on to the highest tree branch he could. When he looked down, he was amazed on how high he got. Flattening himself out on the tree branch, he looked below to see what kind of animal was chasing him. Too his amazement, it was a large dog.

Pondering on what a dog was doing in the forest, Obito heard rustling in the tree behind the dog. Kuma started barking frantically as he made his way to the base of the tree. To Obito's relief, he saw his new best friend, Uncle Naruto, and his father peering up at him.

"Daddy!" Obito screamed as he dove off the tree limb towards his father's waiting arms.

Kakashi was shocked to see his son so high up in the large tree in front of him. The boy dove into his arms obviously scared beyond belief. Kakashi was never so happy to see his son safe and hugged him tight to comfort him. He scanned him for any physical injuries and thankfully there were none. The boy slowly quieted down, now safe with people he loved around him.

"Obito, what happened?" Kakashi said quietly after the boy settled down, "And where is your mother?"

"Sasuke took us," Obito told his father, "He took us both when we were walking to the market. He got mad at me and had that mean lady take me here and she left me all by myself."

The boy started crying again. Kakashi comforted his traumatized son as his mind raced on how to rescue his beloved. If Sasuke was this careless on how he treated Obito, he shuddered to think on what the Uchiha heir would do to Sakura. All Kakashi could see is red. First he needed to tend to his son and make sure he was safe. After that, he would find Sakura and make sure that Sasuke would never hurt his family again.


	13. Lady Uchiha

_Disclaimer – I do not own Naruto or any characters of said story. _

**Lady Uchiha**

As Sakura slowly started to wake from the fog, she could hear water flowing in the background. The haziness from the sharringan clung to her like wet clothes, weighing her thoughts and body down. She could smell water and flowers filtering through the room she was in. Her eye sight came back slowly, just seeing outlines of shapes and colors. Sasuke must have disabled her chakra because she couldn't summon it up like she normally did. That would definitely slow her down if she could manage to escape. Her body was stiff from not moving for so long. She stretched to awaken her tired and tight muscles.

When she could finally focus, she looked around the room she was in. It was beautifully decorated with rich colors. Over the fireplace was the Uchiha clan symbol . Obviously Sasuke had brought her to one of his family's strongholds. Walking from the plush bed, she made her way to the balcony to survey the landscape. As she looked out, she saw a waterfall flowing and the verdant valley that it flowed into. The villa was built on the side of a mountain high above the valley below. Sakura sighed when she saw how high up they were. If she wasn't a captive, the view and accommodations would have been pleasing. Her clouded mind lifted, as she thought about what her captor had in mind for her. She hoped that Obito was safe back in the village by now. Even if she couldn't escape, knowing that her precious boy was safe and unharmed would be worth any torture she would have to endure.

* * *

Kakashi stayed by Obito's side as Tsunade looked over the small boy at the hospital. The hokage insisted that she examine him to make sure that the boy was unharmed. Obito held onto Kakashi's hand refusing to let go while she made sure all was well. Once the exam was done, Obito jumped into his father's arms refusing to let go. Kakashi held his son comforting the boy from the trauma he endured. Tsunade requested that Obito stay overnight so they could watch him to make sure that he was okay.

Soon the boy fell asleep in his arms. Kakashi was relieved that his son was unhurt by his misadventure but knew that it would be awhile before he would get over the psychological strain of it all. Looking down at his sleeping son, he was amazed on how emotionally tied he was to Obito. Never in a million years did he think he would be a father. The feelings he had for the small boy was indescribable. Kakashi vowed that he would do his best for his son and be the father that Obito could be proud of. He wanted to give him the childhood that he never had.

Knowing that the boy was fully asleep and wouldn't rouse for awhile, he gently laid his son in the bed and tucked him in. He needed to get his gear and come back before the boy woke. Hinata and Naruto would be there in the morning to look after the boy as he ventured out to bring Sakura home.

* * *

When morning came, Obito woke early finding his father asleep next to his bed. His father had a black uniform on with protective gear over it. He had never seen his dad in this uniform before and was curious what was in the pack that lay across the room. Slowly, he crept out of the bed trying not to make any noise to rouse the sleeping man next to him. Looking in the pack, he saw his father's weapons and an ANBU mask. Obito traced the lines on the mask studying it closely.

"Son, are you supposed to be out of bed?" Kakashi said gently as he came up behind the boy staring at the mask in his hands.

Shyly, the boy turned around and smiled up at him. Obito put up his arms, wordlessly asking Kakashi to pick him up. Sweeping the boy up, Obito hugged his father making sure that he didn't damage his father's mask.

"I'm glad you're my Daddy," Obito said as he hugged Kakashi tightly. "You saved me from the scary forest, and you have cool stuff too."

Kakashi chuckled as he placed his son back in the bed and thanked him for the complement. Obito put down the mask gently on the bed and then started questioning Kakashi about all the weapons in his pack. Kakashi patiently explained each weapon, and answered all the questions the boy had. Soon the boy became quiet and started nervously twisting the blanket. Kakashi pulled Obito into his lap and protectively put his arms around the boy, asking him what was bothering him.

"Sasuke promised me he would be my friend," Obito said softly as tears welled up in his eyes, "And he turned out to be bad. He still has Mommy and she was hurt. He made that mean lady leave me in the forest alone too. I'm sorry that I liked him more than you at first. Can you forgive me, Daddy?"

Kakashi looked down at Obito's tear filled dark green eyes and smiled. "Of course Obito, I'm your father and I love you," he said as he wiped the tears away, "No matter what you do, I will always love you, just like your mom does."

Obito hugged him tightly, happy that the man that was holding him loved him unconditionally. He felt safe with Kakashi, safer than he ever did with Sasuke. He knew that his dad would find his mom and bring her home.

After awhile, Obito looked up at Kakashi. "You're going to get my mom, aren't you?"

Kakashi nodded and promised his son that he would find her. Obito just nodded and had a content look on his face. Kakashi was amazed on how perceptive his son was and how he trusted him. He didn't know how well he would do being a father, but he would try his best to make sure his son was happy and secure. Kakashi couldn't help but feel proud of his young son.

* * *

After knocking on the door, Naruto stuck his head in to see if everyone was awake. Seeing that both of them were up, Naruto and Hinata made their entrance. "Hey how's my favorite nephew doing?" Naruto smiled at Obito.

Obito smiled back and told them that he was doing fine. Kakashi stood and offered Hinata the chair he was sitting in, like the gentleman he was. The heiress sat next to his son as the young boy started to tell her about all the weapons that his father had in his pack. Kakashi pulled Naruto aside to talk to him while Obito was occupied with Hinata.

Kakashi told his former student that once Tsunade came to discharge Obito, he would be off to find Sakura and to take care of Sasuke. Before Naruto volunteered his services, Kakashi asked him to watch over his son and to protect him while he was gone. He asked Naruto as a personal favor to do this for him and to serve as Obito's guardian if the unthinkable happened. Naruto accepted surprised and honored by the man's request. Kakashi handed him a letter giving Naruto guardianship if Sakura and he did not return. Even though Naruto was torn by what had happened, he wished Kakashi well in finding Sakura. He assured his former sensei that he would never forgive Sasuke for what he had done to Sakura and that he considered his friendship with the Uchiha heir null due to his unspeakable actions. Kakshi thanked Naruto for watching over his son and vowed that he and Sakura would be back soon. As the two men finished their conversation, Tsunade walked into the room to discharge Obito.

After she declared Obito fit to go, she pulled Kakashi aside to tell him that she had 2 ANBU teams waiting to assist him. Kakashi thanked her and promised to bring Sakura back soon. He couldn't promise about bringing Sasuke home alive though. With an evil glint in her eye, she told him to do whatever he felt was necessary, just to bring her student home back safe and sound. He handed the hokage a letter containing his wishes if the mission wasn't a success. Pakuun and Kuma suddenly appeared in the room. Kuma bound over to Obito while Pakuun gave Kakashi an update on the path they found that would lead to Sakura.

Kakashi turned with his mask in hand, and said goodbye to everyone in the room. He leaned down next to his son and gave the boy a hug. Obito promised to be on his best behavior for Hinata and Naruto while he was gone.

"Remember Obito that I love you," he whispered in the boy's ear, "and that I will be home as fast as I can with your mother. Make sure that Kuma behaves, okay"

Obito nodded and smiled at his father knowing that his parents would be home soon. The group watched as the Copy Ninja donned his mask and took off out the window.

* * *

Karin sauntered her way back into the Uchiha villa and sat down in the large dining area. As she was running back from dropping the kid off, she knew that she needed to confront Sasuke about his crazy plan on being with the pink haired medic. She had to try one more time to convince the object of her desire that his plan was flawed and that she was more than happy to take the witch's place to give him everything that he desired.

The rest of Sasuke's men gave the raven haired woman large berth as she sulked as she sat in her chair. They could feel the anger radiate from her and knew that her anger was something to be reckoned with if they crossed her. Sasuke's mood had been dark the last time he had checked in with them to see if Karin had arrived back from the errand that he had given her. They knew that the fireworks were going to fly once the two were in the same room together.

Sasuke was irritated by the length of time it took Karin to report back. If he couldn't convince Sakura that Obito was safe in the village, he wouldn't be able to move forward with the next step of his plan. Sasuke stormed into the dining area looking to see if Karin was back. Seeing her sitting in the chair lightened his mood, but it still irritated him that she had taken so long.

"So," he barked.

"What?" she toyed with him.

"Did you do what I asked?" Sasuke scowled at her. The rest of the men made their way out of the door quickly knowing that the two would be having a heated argument shortly by the way they were glaring at each other.

"The brat is back home," she spat refusing to look at him.

Sasuke eyed her suspiciously knowing there was something she was keeping from him. He strode in front of her and turned her chair so she had to face him.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes! I am sure! I returned the brat as you requested!" she yelled.

Sasuke backed away from the raven haired beauty. He hated her attitude, but she was loyal and would do his bidding no matter what. Sitting down at the head of the table, he gathered his thoughts on how to proceed with the next part of his plan. Looking up, he saw Karin make her way down to the side of the table where he was sitting and watched her take a seat next to him. He waited to see what she had to say to him next.

"Sasuke, why do you want to be with that woman? She obviously despises you and wants to be with someone else," she said quietly.

"It's none of your business Karin," he glared.

"I care about you, and am willing to do anything for you. We could have a great life together, and I'm willing to have as many heirs as you want as long as we are together. I love you Sasuke, forever and always," she said tenderly.

"Not interested," he said standing up towering over her, "All I want you to do is follow my orders, nothing more."

Sasuke then told her that she would help Sakura dress after he was done talking with her and that she needed to treat Sakura with the respect of being Lady Uchiha. That was his orders and he expected her to comply. If she didn't like it, she knew where the door was. He didn't want to hear any more from her.

Karin stared dejectedly as Sasuke stormed out of the room. She wasn't going to give up that easily and would find a way to win him. A lone tear fell from her eye as she saw the door close. There was no way that that woman would be Lady Uchiha if she had anything to do with it.

* * *

Sakura heard people shouting in the other room. She wondered what was going on that was causing such a ruckus.

"Yes! I am sure! I returned the brat as you requested!"

Sakura heard the woman's voice loud and clear. She was relieved that her son was back home, even though she disliked that woman calling her son a brat. Now, she needed to figure out a plan to get out of here. Soon the yelling died down and Sakura heard a knock at the door.

Sasuke let himself in and asked her how she was feeling. Sakura murmured that she was fine. Smiling, Sasuke informed her that Obito was back home and was safe. Sakura thanked him for letting Obito back home and making sure he was safe. He nodded and sat next to her on the bed.

"Sakura, you know that I love you more than anything. Tonight, we will start our new life together. I'll prove to you that I'm the better man. I know my ancestors will be proud to have you as Lady Uchiha," he told her as he caressed her cheek.

Sakura just sat there astonished at what he was telling her. Kissing her on the forehead, he told her that Karin would be in shortly to help her dress for the occasion. He looked forward to their evening alone.

Dumbfounded by what he told her, Sakura was numb. Sasuke was delusional thinking that she would comply with his wishes of being Lady Uchiha. Her mind raced on a plan to stave off his attentions until she could figure out how to escape. Soon her thoughts were interrupted with Karin barging into the room with several garment bags hanging over her arm.

The two women glared at each other, each disliking the other for their own personal reasons.

"I'm here to help you dress, _Lady Uchiha,_" Karin mocked.

Sakura snorted her displeasure as the raven haired woman slammed the door shut.

"I don't know what he sees in you," Karin told her as she made her way into the room.

"I don't care what Sasuke thinks. I don't want his attentions," Sakura countered, "He is all yours, if you want him so badly."

A slow smile spread across Karin's lips as her pink haired rival gave her permission to take what she wanted most. Karin made her way behind the woman sitting on the bed.

"I'm glad to hear it," she retorted as Sakura's world went black.

* * *

_This is the second to the last chapter. I will post the exciting conclusion as soon as possible. As always, I appreciate all of your comments!!!_


	14. Forever and Always

_Here it is! The final chapter! The lines indicate a scene or POV change. I hope you all like it!_

_Disclaimer – I do not own Naruto or any characters of said story._

**Forever and Always**

Sitting in his room, Sasuke looked out his window at the scenery contemplating how he should proceed this evening. Sakura was a woman of great passion and a wicked left hook, and needed to be persuaded properly to get what he wanted. He figured it would take some time for her to come around to his way of thinking. Until then, her chakra would have to be suppressed to avoid any unpleasantries. He stood and looked himself over in the mirror making sure that he looked his best for Sakura. Finding everything acceptable, he made is way out the door to start his courtship of his future wife.

As he walked down the corridor, he was passed by Karin. She moved quickly hardly acknowledging him, which was fine by Sasuke. Under normal circumstances, he would have given her a chance to make him happy, but with Sakura so near, the raven haired woman didn't have a chance. He stopped suddenly and turned to see where she had vanished, not sensing her chakra any more. Karin had disappeared from the hallway, most likely leaving the villa due to his rendezvous with Sakura. Smiling to himself, he resumed his march to Sakura's door. Without Karin in the villa, he didn't have to worry about her barging in unwittingly while he tried to impress Sakura and persuade her to his line of thinking.

* * *

Kakashi ran full speed behind his ninken with his two teams following behind. He was glad that the ninken had picked up the scent of the unknown woman that brought Obito back near the village because her path intermingled with Sasuke's weak scent. Knowing who he was dealing with, he hoped this wasn't a trap.

Life without Sakura would be unbearable, there was no room for error in this mission. He had impressed on the two ANBU teams the urgency of this operation. They were to secure the perimeter while he took care of Sasuke and rescue Sakura. Until he gave the signal, they were not to enter the interior for any reason. Kakashi didn't want any interference from anyone when he engaged Sasuke. He would make sure that the Uchiha heir would never hurt his family again. His only hope was that Sasuke had not done anything to his precious blossom. His pace quickened as his anger surged.

* * *

Finally reaching the door, Sasuke gently knocked to see if Sakura was ready for him. He heard a soft "come in" and opened the door. Sakura was standing near the balcony with his back to him. She looked breathtaking in the finery that he had sent for her to dress in. The houmongi (_see note_) had been his mother's. It was a dark blue with the Uchiha crests tastefully embroidered on the shoulders. On the bottom edges, there were finely embroidered pine trees with hawks, which the Uchiha family was well known for, flying majestically overhead. The obi was a medium blue with an elaborate calm stream pattern that was embroidered with silver and iridescent blue thread. His mother had worn it on formal occasions and was one of his favorites in her collection. He could remember all the happy times that they shared when she wore it. Sasuke had looked for any of his mother's furisodoe (_see note_) to no avail. It was just the two of them tonight so it didn't matter. Soon enough they would be married.

Sakura's hair was swept up in a beautiful coiffure with his mother's combs tastefully added. He was happy to see that none of the jewelry or the comb that Kakashi had given to her adorned her body. They were a reminder of the man who had taken her virginity from her which was, in his mind, rightfully his. Sakura had promised him that she would wait for his return the fateful night that he had left to pursue his quest for power. At least that's what he remembered the girl pledging her undying love saying to him before he left.

As she turned to greet him, there was a slight blush on her cheeks. He could see that her chakra was off due to the jutsu that he had used to block it, but that was to be expected. Even though he wished her no harm, she must have felt vulnerable without it surging through her body. He couldn't take the chance of her running from him before he was sure he could trust her. Sasuke also didn't want to be on the receiving end of her brute strength that she was well known for. He smiled and greeted her complimenting her beauty. Drawing nearer, he invited her to walk with him in the gardens below so they could enjoy the view together. Taking her hand, he led her out the door.

The two strolled through the garden making their way to the gazebo that was near the pool by the base of the waterfall. The garden was lush with beautiful flowers of all colors and greenery. Sasuke loved coming here with his family when he was small and it was his sanctuary when he needed a break in his hectic life. He had the cook, which he recently hired, prepare dinner for them as they took in the view as evening approached. Sasuke was happy to see that the kunoichi's appetite wasn't affected by his jutsu. They enjoyed the meal together in silence. He hoped that she would be more talkative as the evening wore on.

After watching the sun set, Sasuke moved closer to the woman he loved. He had never known her to be so quiet and reserved before. Under the circumstances, he understood that she was reluctant to speak to him probably due to her anger towards him. He had to do something to break the silence, it was killing him not knowing her thoughts right now.

Lifting her chin with his finger, he smiled at her. "I just wanted you to know, that Obito is safe at home. I made sure that he got there unharmed," he reassured her.

"Thank you," she said softly, "That means a lot to me, Sasuke."

He took her hands in his and sat closely to her. Sasuke was thankful that she wasn't pulling away from him and was accepting of his touch. This was going much better than he planned or hoped for. The couple watched as the stars came out. He felt her shiver next to him and asked if it would be okay to hold her to keep her warm. She wordlessly nodded her consent. His spirit soared as he held her close, taking in her intoxicating scent, enjoying every minute with her.

As the evening drew to an end, he escorted her back to the master bedroom. Sasuke's mind raced on how to broach the subject he was most eager to discuss with her all night long. The evening was going much better than he expected, but didn't want to rush into things only to destroy the progress that he had made. As they walked into the room, he asked her to sit on the plush sofa that was near the balcony while he secured the door. Sitting next to her, he took her hands in his. Taking a breath, he carefully started the conversation that he anxiously wanted to discuss.

"Sakura, you know that I love you more than anything, right?"

The pink haired woman looked up at him nervously.

"I've loved you since we were 12, but I was always nervous to tell you because of my past and I didn't want to put you in danger due to my brother. That's why I thanked you before I left. You were the only one who I felt ever loved me for who I was, no matter what."

Sasuke tensely watched Sakura for her reaction. It was awhile before either spoke. She looked like she was processing what he had just revealed to her. Waiting for her response was killing him. He needed to know what she was thinking.

"Sasuke, having that woman in this room earlier made me realize how jealous I would be if you chose to be with her," she finally said to him. "It made me realize the feelings that I have for you."

Sasuke watched her intently. Watching her chakra patterns, he knew that she wasn't lying to him. He would have to thank Karin later for what ever she did or said while she was helping Sakura dress, if all went well tonight. "Which was?"

"I love you, Sasuke. I have since I first met you. Forever and always."

He pulled her into his embrace and kissed her deeply. The woman in his arms responded passionately. Never in his wildest dreams did he think that Sakura would reply in the way she just did. His spirit soared as she wound her hands into his thick hair. He swept her into his arms and made his way towards the bed to prove to her how much he loved her.

* * *

A faint light shown over Sakura as she woke from her stupor. The last thing she remembered was that dark haired witch in the room with her telling her that she was there to dress her and the verbal fight that ensued. Looking around her surroundings, she found herself alone in a walk-in closest surrounded by linens and stored kimono. Her arms were bound, but not tightly. The woman must have been in a hurry when she restrained her. After some effort, Sakura wiggled one arm loose. She tried to swear, but found her voice was not functioning. The witch must have placed a jutsu on her causing her vocal cords to paralyze. Without her full chakra, she couldn't undo it. Suddenly she was aware of the noises coming from the other side of the door. She was shocked to hear her own voice in the throws of passion and Sasuke's voice. 'What the hell is going on?' she thought to herself.

* * *

Kakashi waited until the ANBU teams were in position before he broached the room where he heard Sakura's voice. As soon as they gave the signal that they were ready, he stealthily jumped up on the balcony where he had heard her voice. Shock washed over him as he heard Sakura's voice cry out in ecstasy. He burst into the room finding Sasuke and Sakura in bed in a very compromising position. The couple didn't notice him as he stared in disbelief at the scene that was before him. He could tell that Sakura's chakra was compromised and only could think that the Uchiha heir had done something to his love to make her respond in this way. Anger washed over Kakashi as he watched Sasuke take advantage of Sakura after he had made her powerless to defend herself.

* * *

As Sasuke came down from his high from making love to her, he noticed a familiar presence in the room. "Kakashi," he swore as he gathered the woman next to him into his arms.

The two men glared at each other, their anger filling the large room.

"Ha," Sasuke spat, "I knew you would come for her, but I didn't expect it would be this soon. But if I was in your position, I guess I wouldn't have waited long either. She's a prize isn't she?" Sasuke drew the pink haired woman's face to his as he kissed her deeply.

Kakashi tensed as he watched Sasuke kiss the woman that he loved. Knowing what he must have done to her to make her respond the way she did right now just enraged him further. He knew that the man was trying to get a response out of him, he steeled his emotions so he could rescue her and take care of Sasuke so he would never bother them again.

"I guess she has made her choice on who she wants to be with, Kakashi, and you aren't it," Sasuke snarled. "I would appreciate if you could leave now, you interrupted a very pleasant evening for the two of us."

"Sorry, can't do that," Kakashi sneered, "I have a duty to Sakura and Konoha."

Sasuke kissed her forehead as he rose from the bed to ready himself for battle. He donned his pants and faced their intruder.

* * *

Sakura sensed Kakashi's presence appear in the other room and heard the men talking. She could hear the pain and anger in Kakashi's voice as he bantered with Sasuke. Wishing that she could let him know that she was not the woman in the bed, she searched frantically for anything to help her try to help subdue Sasuke before Kakashi was hurt. Sakura was more than confident of her lover's abilities, but he was still recuperating from his injuries and wasn't 100% yet. As she searched, she found her comb still in her hair and her bracelet on her wrist. They were the ones that Kakashi had left her from his mother's inheritance. Undoing the compartments, she readied the poison laced senbons from their cradle and the instrument that was hidden in one of the compartments that could help her unlock the door. Quietly, she opened the closet door and waited for her chance to poison the man who kidnapped her.

* * *

The men stared each other down as they waited for the other to make their first move. Both had their sharringans blazing as they sized each other up. Sasuke moved out of the way of the bed so the woman in the bed wouldn't be hurt by their fight. As he moved to the middle of the room he saw a flash out of the corner of his eye. He turned to catch her as she fell behind him. Both men screamed her name as they saw her fall. Cradling her in his arms, he saw two small senbons, one embedded in her chest and one in her neck. She gasped Sasuke's name as she lost consciousness.

Sasuke laid her upon the bed gently and pulled the senbons from her skin. He noted that they were poisoned due to the changing color of her skin was around the puncture sites. Her breathing became labored and her eyes flew wide open as she clutched him desperately.

"Sasuke…remember…I love…you…forever…and…always, forever…and always," she whispered before she stopped breathing.

* * *

Karin had seen the glint of light from the closet that she had stashed Sakura in and moved quickly cursing herself for not restraining the kunoichi better. She felt the senbons imbed in her skin and felt the poison start spreading through her body. Knowing that she would be dying shortly, she needed to tell Sasuke how she felt one more time. As she whispered her last words, she was content that she had finally shown him how much she loved him, even if it was in disguised as another, and knowing that she had saved him from certain death. She knew that her henge would dissipate once she died, and then he would know that she loved him more than life itself by her actions.

* * *

The room grew quiet, nothing was heard. Neither man could believe what they had just witnessed. Sasuke became enraged by Kakashi's incompetence by having one of his subordinates putting her in harm's way. Kakashi couldn't figure out who had poisoned her since his team was outside. He had given strict orders for no one to enter this room under no circumstances. His only deduction was that the perpetrator was one of Sasuke's people that had wanted to kill him. In her deluded state, she had thrown her body in front of Sasuke to protect him. Both men were enraged by watching the one they loved most die in front of their eyes.

* * *

Sakura didn't know that the woman could move so fast. She had paid the ultimate price for her feelings for the Uchiha heir by dying for him. The tension in the room was stifling as she watched both men witness her own supposed death. Sakura knew that she needed to do something fast. Kakashi was in more danger now than before due to Sasuke's wrath.

* * *

Neither man said a word as they circled each other. It was a fight to the death now, no holds barred. Neither had anything to lose since they both had lost the thing most precious in their lives. Kakashi hoped that he had enough energy to take Sasuke down since he was still not at his best due to his injuries.

Sasuke swore and told the man that was his ex-sensei that he wished that his underlings had finished the job they were charged to do so many years ago when he had assigned the men to take Kakashi prisoner and torture him. He admitted to his plan to dispose of the silver haired ninja so he could have the now dead woman and her son all for himself. Spewing how all his plans were laid to waste due to Kakashi surviving, he promised that he would make Kakashi pay for ruining his chance to be with Sakura forever. Sasuke charged up his chakra and stepped forward to make the man in front of him to make him pay fully for his loss.

* * *

Sakura saw her chance and crept from the closet where she was hidden with two more poison laced senbons in hand. Having only two more senbon left after that, she had to make these count. She was counting on the element of surprise to kill Sasuke.

* * *

Sasuke felt a presence behind him. Knowing that Kakashi had help, he spun around to take on the unknown intruder only to be shocked at the sight of Sakura standing in front of him. He felt Kakashi's raikiri tear through his chest as he stood awestruck by her presence. Sasuke looked over to the bed where he now saw Karin displayed in the position where he thought Sakura had died. He smiled at Sakura as his life ebbed from him knowing now that he had been tricked by one that professed her undying love to him earlier in the day. It was a fitting ending to his cursed plan. He wouldn't have to watch the object of his desire be in the arms of his enemy. His body crumpled to the floor as he took his last breath.

* * *

The couple stared at each other as Sasuke died beneath them. Kakashi took a tentative step forward, hoping that the image before him was real not knowing what he would do if it wasn't.

"Please tell me that it's really you Sakura," he said in a pained voice.

Tears ran down her face as she mouthed that it was really her and that she could not talk. She couldn't take the pained expression on his face any more. Running into his arms, she clutched him tightly. Her scent assaulted his senses and he knew that it was his Sakura in his arms, not an apparition. He embraced her tightly not wanting to let go of her just in case this was an illusion. Watching the image of her dying was the worst experience he ever experienced in his life and he didn't want to ever repeat it again. He had lost many comrades in his life, but the idea of losing the one he loved more than life itself was something that would break him. Holding her in his arms, he let out a huge sigh of relief. Kakashi was also thankful that the image of Sakura being intimate with Sasuke was a false one. Lifting her face to his, he kissed her deeply.

The couple was soon interrupted by Pakuun, who was clearing his throat to get his master's attention. The small pug was glad that Kakashi had found Sakura, but the team outside was getting antsy waiting for Kakashi to give the signal that he had eliminated his target. There would be time to do all of this human mushy stuff once their mission was completed. Kakashi laughed as he told the pug to give the signal to summon the team lead outside, and the small dog walked off muttering about over emotional humans.

Kakashi gave the ANBU team leader instructions to take care of the villa and the loose ends while he took Sakura back to Konoha. Sweeping Sakura up into his arms, he sped back to the village so she could be looked over medically to release the jutsu she was still suffering from. Sakura nestled close to his chest savoring his strong arms around her, weaving her arms around his neck. She felt safe and secure as he flew through the forest towards the village. It seemed like years had passed since he held her close this way, even though it was just days. Sakura drifted off to sleep as he ran, lulled by his movements. As he looked down at her sleeping form, he pulled her closer thanking the gods above for sparing her from death. He hoped that this broke his long curse of losing every person he ever loved. Kissing her forehead, he picked up his pace so he could get her home where she belonged.

* * *

It took a couple of weeks for Sakura to regain her strength and voice after her harrowing ordeal. Obito was overjoyed to see his mother again when she finally was back. The boy was clingy the first few days after she arrived home. Both Kakashi and Sakura reassured him that all was well and that he was safe. Kakashi was back to his old self again but had a new appreciation of his family. He vowed that he would do everything in his power so they would be never separated again. Soon after Sakura arrived home, he asked her to marry him so they could be the family that they all craved. In a small ceremony, surrounded by friends, the couple was joined together as man and wife. Even though they had many challenges ahead of them, they knew they could weather it all with knowledge that they always had each other by their side.

* * *

_Notes: _

_Furisodoe – formal kimono that is worn by an unmarried woman._

_Houmongi – formal kimono that is worn by a married woman._

_Thanks to all of you for reading my story and all of the kind words and helpful suggestions! _


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